Ruby Jessop

{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2022}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Ruby Jessop

| image =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1986|05|03}}

| birth_place =

| known_for = 2013 escape from FLDS

| occupation =

| alma_mater =

| relatives = Flora Jessop
Carolyn Jessop
John Horne Blackmore
Winston Blackmore

| website =

}}

Ruby Jessop (born May 3, 1986) is an American former member of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS) and child bride known for her family connections, her 2013 escape from an FLDS-controlled polygamous community, and the criminal probe prompted by her escape.{{cite web | last = Ng | first = Christina | title = Arizona Former Child Bride 'Escapes' FLDS Community With Children | url = https://abcnews.go.com/US/arizona-child-bride-escapes-flds-community-children/story?id=18292889 | publisher = ABC News (20/20) | date = January 23, 2013 | accessdate = August 16, 2013}}

Ruby is the sister of author and ex-FLDS member Flora Jessop.{{cite book | last = Jessop | first = Flora | title = Church of Lies | publisher = Jossey-Bass | year = 2010 | isbn = 978-0470565469}} In Flora's book, Church of Lies, she recounts how, as a fourteen-year-old, Ruby called her asking to help her escape after learning that she was to be married off to her second cousin and step-brother, Haven Barlow.{{cite web | last = Lee | first = Ken | title = Former Child Bride, Held Over a Decade, Escapes Polygamist Sect | url = http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20668005,00.html | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130127195825/http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20668005,00.html | url-status = dead | archive-date = January 27, 2013 | publisher = People | date = January 25, 2013 | accessdate = August 5, 2013}}{{cite news | last = Ng | first = Christina | title = Arizona Former Child Bride 'Escapes' FLDS Community With Children | url = https://abcnews.go.com/US/arizona-child-bride-escapes-flds-community-children/story?id=18292889 | newspaper = ABC News | date = January 23, 2013 | accessdate = August 5, 2013}} Flora writes that while the authorities were contacted, they were unable to locate Ruby as she was being moved from place to place to avoid contact with Flora.

FLDS Prophet Warren Jeffs officiated at the wedding of 14-year-old Ruby and Barlow, who was then in his mid-20s. When the two were married, this made Barlow her brother-in-law,{{cite news | title = Arizona mother of six escapes 12-year nightmare in Warren Jeffs' polygamous sect | url = https://www.foxnews.com/us/arizona-mother-of-six-escapes-12-year-nightmare-in-warren-jeffs-polygamous-sect/ | newspaper = Fox News | date = January 23, 2013 | access-date = August 5, 2013}} second cousin, step-brother and husband. The intermarrying of Fundamentalist Mormon members is very common, as families have many members and only people inside the faith are deemed marriageable.{{cite news | last = Khan | first = Razib | title = Inbreeding among Mormons | url = http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/gnxp/2006/08/inbreeding-among-mormons/#.Uf_aRpKsjK4 | newspaper = Discover | date = August 31, 2006 | accessdate = August 5, 2013 | archive-date = November 3, 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131103042859/http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/gnxp/2006/08/inbreeding-among-mormons/#.Uf_aRpKsjK4 | url-status = dead }}{{cite news | title = Polygamist Sects: How They Avoid Inbreeding Problems | url = http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/04/22/polygamist-sects-how-they_n_97975.html | newspaper = Huffington Post | date = April 30, 2008 | accessdate = August 5, 2013}} This can result in inbreeding and can cause genetic defects.{{cite news | last = Johnson | first = Kirk | title = By Accident, Utah Is Proving An Ideal Genetic Laboratory | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/31/us/by-accident-utah-is-proving-an-ideal-genetic-laboratory.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm | work = New York Times | date = July 31, 2004 | accessdate = August 16, 2013}}

After Ruby's escape, a press conference was held by Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne with Ruby and her sister Flora to announce not only the escape, but a probe into the alleged FLDS practice of holding women against their will and an investigation of the police force in Colorado City.

Ruby has appeared on Katie Couric,{{cite web | last = Couric | first = Katie | title = FLDS Escapee Ruby Jessop Tells Story of Abuse for First Time | url = http://katiecouric.com/videos/flds-escapee-ruby-jessop/ | publisher = KatieCouric.com | accessdate = August 5, 2013 }}{{Dead link|date=December 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Oprah,{{cite web | last = Damitio | first = Stacy | title = Flora Jessop speaks about her experience with the polygamist lifestyle | url = http://thevoice.gccaz.edu/?p=958 | publisher = The Voice | accessdate = August 5, 2013 | archive-date = September 14, 2014 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140914181405/http://thevoice.gccaz.edu/?p=958 | url-status = dead }} Anderson Cooper: 360°,{{cite news | last = Cooper | first = Anderson | title = Tonight on AC360: Escape from the FLDS | url = http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2013/01/28/tonight-on-ac360-escape-from-the-flds/?on.cnn=1&hpt=ac_mid | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140914181153/http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2013/01/28/tonight-on-ac360-escape-from-the-flds/?on.cnn=1&hpt=ac_mid | url-status = dead | archive-date = September 14, 2014 | work = Anderson Cooper:360 | publisher = CNN | accessdate = August 5, 2013 | date=January 28, 2013}} Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey,{{cite web | title = Here's Where This Ex-FLDS Child Bride Is Now: 'Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey.' | date = June 18, 2022| url = https://technotrenz.com/entertainment/heres-where-this-ex-flds-child-bride-is-now-keep-sweet-pray-and-obey-1963448.html}} and appears in Jon Krakauer's non-fiction book Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith.{{cite book | last = Krakauer | first = Jon | title = Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith | publisher = First Anchor Books | year = 2003 | isbn = 1-4000-3280-6 | pages = [https://archive.org/details/underbannerofhea00krak/page/51 51–52] | url = https://archive.org/details/underbannerofhea00krak/page/51 }}

Ruby is cousin-by-marriage of Carolyn Jessop, author of the New York Times Best Seller Escape and ex-FLDS member.{{cite book | last = Jessop | first = Carolyn | title = Escape | publisher = Broadway Books | year = 2008 | isbn = 978-0767927574 | url = https://archive.org/details/escape00jess }} She is a relative of Winston Blackmore, the leader of a Canadian polygamous group, and also his uncle John Horne Blackmore, first leader of what became the Social Credit Party of Canada.{{cite news | last = Bramham | first = Daphne | title = Escape from Polygamy | url = http://www2.canada.com/vancouversun/features/polygamy/story.html?id=f4ee01d3-f79d-4d25-a08e-69ff02c117fc&p=2 | newspaper = Vancouver Sun | date = March 12, 2005 | accessdate = August 2, 2013 | archive-date = October 21, 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131021182911/http://www2.canada.com/vancouversun/features/polygamy/story.html?id=f4ee01d3-f79d-4d25-a08e-69ff02c117fc&p=2 | url-status = dead }}