U.S. DISTRICT COURT, D. UTAH · NO. 2:24-CV-00155
Grant, et al. v. Kingston
A federal civil lawsuit brought by ten women against the Kingston Group, alleging trafficking, forced labor, and coerced marriage.
COURT
U.S. District Court, District of Utah
CASE NUMBER
2:24-cv-00155
FILED
February 28, 2024
PLAINTIFFS
Ten women
Background
The Kingston Group — formally the Latter Day Church of Christ, known to members as “the Order” — is a fundamentalist community headquartered in Utah. For decades, former members have alleged that the group operates as a criminal enterprise: forcing young women and girls into underage and incestuous marriages, withholding wages, and subjecting members to systematic abuse.
On September 7, 2022, six of the women filed suit in Utah’s Third District Court. They later asked that court to dismiss the case without prejudice so their claims could be brought in federal court, and the request was granted. The federal complaint, filed on February 28, 2024, added federal claims, more facts, and more defendants. An amended complaint followed about three months later.
The case names 46 defendants, including Paul Elden Kingston, other members of the Kingston family, and businesses the complaint says the group operates. The complaint lists twelve causes of action, including labor trafficking, sex trafficking, and claims under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act and the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.
What the plaintiffs allege
The complaint alleges, among other things:
- That young women were pressured into “Order Marriages” — ceremonies with no legal standing that the plaintiffs describe as a cover for sex trafficking.
- That wages were withheld and deposited into Kingston-controlled accounts, leaving workers with no recourse.
- That leadership arranged marriages between close relatives.
- That birth certificates were altered to leave out fathers’ names, shielding leadership from liability.
These are allegations. No court has decided them, and the defendants have the right to contest every claim. We share them carefully, out of respect for everyone who comes forward and for due process.
Where the case stands
The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Ann Marie McIff Allen, with pretrial matters referred to U.S. Magistrate Judge Jared C. Bennett. On December 17, 2024, the court denied the defendants’ motions asking the plaintiffs to pay costs from the earlier state court case.
That is the most recent ruling we have reviewed. Because litigation status can change, please check the official court docket for current filings and rulings.
Sources: U.S. District Court for the District of Utah, Grant et al. v. Kingston et al., No. 2:24-cv-00155, Memorandum Decision and Order (Dec. 17, 2024); The Salt Lake Tribune, March 2, 2024.
Recent updates
New filings and rulings, drawn from the public court docket, are posted here as the case develops.
In the news
- Mar 2, 2024 · The Salt Lake Tribune — Kingston polygamist sect trafficked children, violated federal labor laws, Utah lawsuit alleges
Ten women file a federal racketeering suit that alleges the Kingston sect trafficked children and violated labor laws, naming nearly 50 defendants. - Mar 2, 2024 · The Daily Beast — Polygamous Mormon Sect Is Actually a Sex Trafficking Cult: Lawsuit
Ten women who left the Kingston group file a federal complaint that alleges sex trafficking, incestuous child marriages and forced labor by its leaders. - Sep 11, 2022 · KSL.com — 10 former Kingston members allege abuse, exploitation in new lawsuit
Ten former members of the Order file a 109-page state lawsuit that alleges forced underage marriages, child abuse and labor exploitation by Kingston leaders.
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