JAILED PROPHET STILL CONTROLLING FOLLOWERS AND POLICE BEHIND BARS

WARREN JEFFS & FLORA JESSOP
A former member of the extremist FLDS faith is seen helping families break away from the controversial community in a new reality series.

Flora Jessop, 43, left the Fundamental Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints - 'one of the most reportedly dangerous polygamist cults in America' - at the age of 16, and has endeavoured to help others get away ever since.

In TLC's upcoming series Escaping the Prophet, she works with law enforcement and inside informants to assist runaways as they cut ties with the cult led by the infamous Warren Jeffs - 'a world of unquestioned authority, arranged marriage, and little contact to the outside world'.

Ms Jessop, 43, left the FLDS community in 1986 and went on to become a social activist, an advocate for abused children and the author of 2009 book Church of Lies.

In her book, she claims she endured 'complete and utter suffering' at the hands of FLDS leaders, including physical, mental and sexual abuse.

The upcoming series, which will be in six one-hour parts, sees her helping different runaways as they face the possible dangers of leaving the cult, such as being shunned by their families and pursued by leaders of the cult.

One such runaway is a woman named Lenora, who is hoping Ms Jessop will help her and her daughters finally leave the cult.

Another star of the show is a man named Robert. While he has already escaped the community, he suspects that his children - who remain with his FLDS ex-wife - are being abused in her home.

The FLDS community is known for enforcing rules such as arranged marriage, multiple wives, a strict dress code and blood atonement.

The community is run by Warren Jeffs, its domineering leader and a self-professed 'prophet' who has admitted in the past to having around 80 wives of his own.

The FLDS suffered a significant blow when Mr Jeffs was sentenced to life plus 20 years in jail for sexually assaulting two underage girls, whom he claimed were his 'spiritual wives'.

But recent reports have found that he continues to run the community from behind bars, wielding his control over his followers and even police officers and leaders in Colorado City and Hildale, Utah, where the community is based.

Ms Jessop made headlines in January when she helped her own younger sister Ruby break away from the FLDS, as well as her six children, who will also feature in the show.

'I have been searching for her for 12 years and she was hidden from us,' she told ABC News at the time.

'Every time I got close to the community, they would pack her in a car and move her into hiding, ensuring that we couldn't get close to her.'

Escaping the Prophet is the second of two TLC series delving into the notoriously secretive community.

The first, Breaking the Faith, followed a group of FLDS members as they broke away from the cult and adjusted to life outside their isolated community

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