Deal reached in illegal sex case of Colorado City man

KINGMAN, Ariz. -- Next week's trial for a Colorado City man accused of having illegal sexual relations with an underage woman has been called off. The case against Rodney Holm, 41, is being resolved through a deferred prosecution agreement.

Three counts of sexual conduct with a minor were dismissed in the deal.

The charges are permanently dismissed if Holm completes 40 hours of community service and does not commit any sex-related offenses over the next year.

In a news release, the Mohave County attorney's office indicated the case was compromised by the lack of credibility of the woman said to be the victim.

"The reason why this agreement was reached was due to the fact that the victim had engaged in a potential blackmail scheme with her brother in an attempt to get money from one of the leaders of the FLDS church," the release said. "It appears that the victim did in fact write a letter indicating that she would not testify against certain defendants if excessive money was given to her brother and another man."

Warren Jeffs, 51, the leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, is one of the defendants who would have been targeted in testimony by Ruth Stubbs, 22.

Jeffs awaits trial in Utah, where he is accused of marrying an underage girl to a male adult cousin.

After the Utah trial, Jeffs faces prosecution in Kingman, where he has been indicted on charges in connection with underage girls he is accused of assigning to adult males in church-sanctioned unions.