Religious sect leader gets probation in sex case

By (AP, July 11, 2012)


Extracted from http://wwrn.org/articles/37692/?place=united-states

Salt Lake City, USA - A Utah judge has ordered three years' probation for a 38-year-old religious sect leader who says he had sex with a minor at another leader's direction.

Geody Harman was sentenced last week after pleading guilty to felony unlawful sexual activity with a minor. He also testified against Terrill Dalton, who's president of the Church of the Firstborn of the General Assembly of Heaven.

Harman says he had an "impression" that he should sleep with a 15-year-old girl. He says he consulted Dalton, who told him the impression was from God and he should act on it.

Dalton was convicted of rape and sentenced to two consecutive terms of five years to life in prison.

The sect was in Magna, Utah, before moving to Idaho and eventually settling in Montana.