Doomsday cult leader pleads guilty to child rape, child abuse
02/21/2018 10:04 am PST
By Ashton Edwards, KSTU
CEDAR CITY, Utah -- (KSTU) -- Doomsday cult leader Samuel Warren “The Seer” Shaffer, 33, has pleaded guilty to child rape and child abuse Wednesday.
The Iron County Sheriff's Office said Shaffer is believed to be the leader of a religious affiliation called “Knights of the Crystal Blade.”
He is accused of helping a fellow member of the affiliation, John Coltharp, kidnap his children in Iron County back in Dec. 2017.
That incident led to an Amber Alert and the children were rescued.
Through the investigation, authorities learned the men were “betrothed” to each other's daughters, who were 7 and 8 at the time.
Shaffer faces 25-years-to-life for pleading guilty to rape of a child and 1 to 15 years for child abuse.
FULL STORY: Utah Doomsday cult leader pleads guilty to child rape, child abuse - KSTU
