A woman member of an alleged Ogden polygamist group entered guilty pleas Wednesday to four felony charges of sexually abusing girls under the age of 14.
Sharon Kapp, 36, entered her pleas before 2nd District Judge David Roth following plea negotiations with the state.Kapp pleaded guilty to first-degree felony sodomy on a child, first-degree attempted aggravated sexual abuse, second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor and a third-degree charge of dealing harmful material to a minor.
In exchange for her guilty pleas, defense attorney Robert L. Froerer said the state agreed to pay for a psychological evaluation of his client and not to file additional charges against her.
Weber County Attorney Reed Richards also told the judge that in exchange for the pleas, another second-degree felony charge of sexual abuse of a child would be dismissed. He also said the state would stay moot on recommending a sentence.
Before accepting her pleas, Roth told Kapp that if she admitted guilt, she would more than likely spend time in prison. Roth scheduled sentencing for Feb. 19. Kapp could be sentenced to serve a life term.
Kapp, along with five other women and the alleged male leader of the group known as "Sisters," was charged with felonies following a raid in August in their homes in a north Ogden neighborhood.
Richards said investigators interviewed several children and learned that they had been sexually abused by members of the group. Richards has said he prefers entering into plea negotiations with the defendants rather than subject the children to testifying during trials.
Richards said the victims involved in the court cases were all females under 14.
Others charged and the status of their cases are as follows:
- Arvin Shreeve, the 61-year-old leader of the alleged group, was sentenced last month to serve from 20 years to life in prison. He entered guilty pleas to two charges of first-degree felony sodomy on a child and two second-degree felonies of sexual abuse of a child.
- Jennifer Shreeve, 25, is scheduled for sentencing on Jan. 13 following her guilty pleas to a first-degree felony of attempted sodomy on a child and two second-degree charges of sexual abuse of a child and sexual exploitation of a child.
- Amy Partridge, 27, will appear for sentencing on Jan. 27, following her guilty pleas to two second-degree felony counts of sexual abuse of a child and sexual exploitation of a child.
- Laura Brokaw, 50, is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing in 2nd Circuit Court on Feb. 3 on a first-degree felony count of aggravated sexual abuse of a child.
- Jennie L. Olsen, 24, will appear on Monday for arraignment in 2nd Circuit Court on two first-degree felony charges involving alleged aggravated sexual abuse of a child and sodomy on a child.
- Kracyn Jones, 29, was scheduled to enter a plea Thursday in 2nd District Court to a charge of a second-degree felony sexual exploitation of a child.