Salt Lake City, Utah — The Utah Legislature recently passed a bill with unanimous support, designed to curb youth marriages, particularly those involving significant age differences. This legislative action comes amidst growing concerns reflected in multiple lawsuits against religious polygamous groups in Utah, accusing them of coercing minors into marrying older relatives.
Such a case involves Lu Ann Cooper, who at 15, was wed to her 23-year-old cousin within the context of a polygamous group known as the Kingston clan. Cooper, who now presides over the advocacy group Hope After Polygamy, praised the bill, indicating that it could have mitigated or even prevented her own underage marriage, as well as similar cases cited in recent legal actions.
On the legal front, Kathrine Nichols, a former member of the so-called “Kingston Clan,” initiated a lawsuit on January 22 against the Latter Day Church of Christ and its leaders. The suit, which includes allegations of sex trafficking and abuse, highlights the enforced marriage of Nichols to her uncle at the age of 16, emphasizing the coercive environment in which she had to decide among marrying relatives.
Nichols’ marriage, conducted across various states to evade legal barriers, was annulled in 2023, signaling a minor victory amid ongoing legal battles against the Kingston group. These include accusations from 10 other former members in 2022, denouncing a pattern of sexual abuse and exploitation within the group.
The bill, dubbed SB76, and awaiting the governor’s signature, aims to tighten existing laws by preventing juvenile courts from authorizing marriages where there is more than a four-year age difference between the involved parties. Currently, 16- and 17-year-olds in Utah can marry individuals up to seven years their senior with parental or guardian consent.
Senator Jen Plumb, the bill’s sponsor from Salt Lake City, expressed her motivation to protect minors from predatory practices by introducing a mandatory 72-hour waiting period before such marriages can be authorized. This period is intended to give the parties additional time for reconsideration.
Although the bill targets all youth marriages, Plumb emphasized that it is especially relevant for polygamous communities, where the isolation and control exercised can lead to nonconsensual underage marriages.
Former Senate Minority Leader Scott Howell, who supported the bill, underscored the broader concerns surrounding human trafficking and the frequent underage marriages within polygamous groups, often disguised as religious practices. Howell’s advocacy highlights the significant number of polygamous families still existing in Utah, some of whom are involved in practices that exploit minors.
Legal experts like Rep. Grant Miller, also from Salt Lake City, critiqued the existing regulations, arguing that youth marriages may serve as loopholes for absolving adults from criminal charges associated with sexual crimes.
In parallel, there has been a concerning uptick in youth marriages in recent years, contradicting the expected impact of previously passed legislation. In response, lawmakers continue to push for more stringent laws to close existing loopholes, with Howell noting additional measures passed to combat human trafficking and clarify child labor reporting procedures.
The ongoing legislative and legal efforts in Utah highlight a serious attempt to address and curtail practices harmful to minors, especially within controlled religious or polygamous communities.
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