ST. GEORGE, Utah — A judge sentenced polygamous sect leader Warren Jeffs to five years to life Tuesday for his role in the arranged marriage between a 14-year-old follower and her 19-year-old cousin.

A jury in Utah convicted Jeffs, the so-called "prophet" of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, of two counts of accomplice to rape for "enticing" Elissa Wall to marry and have sex with her cousin, Allen Steed, despite her objections.

Jeffs, 51, received a sentence of five years to life on each of the two counts, minus the 14 months he has already spent in jail, to be served consecutively. The ultimate decision on how much time Jeffs will spend behind bars rests with the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole, which is expected to hold a hearing within three years to determine if, and when, Jeffs is eligible for release.

Fifth District Judge James Shumate rendered his decision after hearing Tuesday from Wall, who declined to accept monetary compensation from Jeffs, a provision the court typically orders in cases of sexual offenses.

"You live under a life sentence. Your courage in carrying on is laudable, but you do not have to do it alone," the judge told Wall as he explained her right to restitution, which is generally used for counseling services.

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"My restitution is knowing that I spoke the truth and that you and the justice system have done your job," said Wall, who has lawsuit pending against Jeffs and the FLDS church. "I have faith and confidence that you will continue the healing process for me."

Dressed in a black suit and a yellow tie, Jeffs responded "not at this time" when asked if he wished to make a statement.

Jeffs' relatives and followers, dressed in suits and prairie dresses, filled the back row of the same St. George courtroom where Jeffs stood trial in September. They left the courthouse without commenting.

Outside the courthouse, one former FLDS member, Flora Jessop, expressed guarded optimism over the judge's ruling.

"For some people, he's going to become a martyr. Otherwise, it's not going to stop them," said Jessop, who left the FLDS in 1986, after becoming a teen bride at 16. "For the time being, this buys some time for the children of the FLDS."

It is unclear precisely how much influence Jeffs still holds from behind bars. Earlier this year, he renounced his role as prophet in jailhouse conversations with his relatives.

For now, the ruling marks an end to Jeffs' legal woes in Utah stemming from his time as spiritual leader of the FLDS, a position he inherited after the death of his father, Rulon Jeffs, in 2002.

The debate over whether Jeffs is being persecuted for the unpopular views of his faith or simply prosecuted for breaking state law will continue. He still faces similar charges in Arizona related to his alleged role in arranged marriages between Wall and other teen brides.

He also faces federal charges stemming from time he spent on the run as a fugitive after the charges were filed in 2005.

During the 90-minute hearing, Bugden told Shumate that Jeffs was one in a long line of ecclesiastical leaders promoting the beliefs of the FLDS, which broke from mainstream Mormonism in the 1890s over the practice of polygamy.

With his client looking on impassively from the defense table, Bugden reiterated his claim that Jeffs was unaware that Wall was being raped and simply offered the couple marriage counseling consistent with his religious beliefs.

"This case was all about religion. The foundation of this case was the prosecution of Mr. Jeffs because of placement marriage," defense lawyer Walter Bugden told reporters outside the St. George courthouse where the sentencing occurred. "Mr. Jeffs encouraging this couple to stay together when they had marital difficulties does not constitute accomplice to rape. It's an unjust result."

At trial, Wall testified that she begged Jeffs to "release" her from the arranged marriage before he wedded the cousins in a legally non-binding ceremony in a Nevada hotel in 2001.

After they were married, Wall testified, she went to Jeffs and told her that her husband was touching her in ways that made her "uncomfortable." His counsel, according to Wall, was that she go home and give herself "mind, body and soul" to her husband.

She admitted, however, that she never used the word rape or told Jeffs that her husband was forcing himself on her.

But Washington County prosecutors insisted that Jeffs was treated the same way as any other religious leader who uses his authority to promote illegal behavior.

"This is not an indictment against religious leaders. This is an indictment on the conduct of Mr. Jeffs," deputy prosecuting attorney Ryan Shaum said in his arguments to the judge.

Shaum also cited the defendant's lack of remorse and an apparent contempt for the "terrestrial" laws, or the laws of the state, as factors weighing in favor of a lengthy jail sentence.

"He is not in the position or mindset to be rehabilitated," Shaum told the judge. "He is more willing to follow the dictates of his religion than the law."

When Jeffs was arrested in Las Vegas in 2006, after more than a year on the run, he was carrying $54,000 in cash, 15 cell phones, wigs and a police scanner in his car, among other items. Shaum also referred to speeches from Jeffs and his supporters made before he went into hiding, in which he urged his followers to band together and "take the hit" even while authorities stepped up their investigative efforts.

"Now, it's Mr. Jeffs' turn to take the hit without flinching," Shaum said.

Lawyers for Jeffs have 30 days to file an appeal.