"Indeed, much of the misinformation circulating on this subject seems designed to intentionally fuel the flames of prejudice against the church," he said.

Jessop said the FLDS marriage practices are a tradition that was "unremarkable" in 19th century America. In its statement, the FLDS Church insists that all marriages are consensual. The clarification is believed to have been made with the approval of FLDS leaders, although Jessop did not say if Warren Jeffs had approved of it.

Jeffs was convicted in Utah of rape as an accomplice, accused of performing a marriage between then-14-year-old Elissa Wall and her 19-year-old cousin, Allen Steed. Wall testified in court that she repeatedly begged not to be married, but was pressured into it.

Jeffs is serving a pair of 5-to-life sentences for the crime. In Arizona, he is facing charges accusing him of performing more child-bride marriages. Other FLDS members have been convicted for taking underage brides.

During a child custody hearing in Texas, child welfare authorities entered photographs into evidence that showed Jeffs kissing a 12-year-old girl, whom they allege was married to him. Jessop said he did not have any knowledge of the history of the photos to comment about.

"What happens in specific issues does not apply to everyone in the community," he said.

So-called "child-bride marriages" have placed the FLDS Church under intense scrutiny in several states. The Utah and Arizona attorneys general have leveled investigations into the polygamous sect.

"They could have avoided a lot of heartache if they had agreed to do this years ago," said Paul Murphy, a spokesman for the Utah Attorney General's Office.

Murphy said there is some skepticism because of the differences in the age of consent for legal marriages, and the age of consent for sexual relationships in a nonlegal marriage, such as a bigamous one.

"We had that discussion with FLDS leaders six years ago where they said they thought 16- and 17-year-olds were a gray area. They're not a gray area as far as the state of Utah is concerned," Murphy said.

Pressed on what the age of marriage will be, Jessop said the church will not allow a marriage that it sanctions without legal consent of those involved in it.

"That includes spiritual marriages," he said.

Jessop accused Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff of making the FLDS criminals because he testified before the Texas Legislature to get them to raise the marriage age.

Numerous criminal investigations are under way, with law enforcement in Utah, Arizona, Nevada and Texas scrutinizing the FLDS Church. Evidence gathered in the raid on the YFZ Ranch could help those investigations.

Jessop was unsure about whether criminal charges would be leveled.

"Maybe they can, maybe they can't," he said. "But it's got to be to a single individual and not to an entire community."

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E-mail: bwinslow@desnews.com