Tensions Escalate At Polygamist Compound

Authorities Prepare For "The Worst" After Sect Leaders Refuse Search Warrant

(AP)  Sect leaders at a polygamist compound in West Texas refused Saturday to let authorities search a temple for a teenage girl whose report of abuse led to the raid, and authorities said they were preparing "for the worst."

If no agreement is reached with sect leaders, authorities will forcibly remove the sect's followers "as peaceably as possible," Allison Palmer, a prosecutor in Tom Green County, told the San Angelo Standard-Times.

Medical workers are being sent "in case this were to a go in a way that no one wants," Palmer said. Law enforcers are "preparing for the worst," she said.

"Within the religion that we have encountered, their place of worship is very special to them," Palmer said. "It appears to be of great concern to them if a person from outside their congregation even attempts to step inside their place of worship."

A search warrant authorized troopers to enter the retreat, run by the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. They are looking for evidence of a marriage between the girl and a 50-year-old man.

Court documents say the girl had a baby eight months ago, when she was 15.

State welfare officials on Friday removed 52 girls from the compound. Marleigh Meisner, a spokeswoman for Child Protective Services, said another 131 residents were removed overnight. By Saturday afternoon, 137 children and 46 women were being housed and interviewed at local community centers.

"They seem to be doing fine," Meisner told The Associated Press.

The whereabouts of the 16-year-old mother who sparked the investigation are unknown, Meisner said. State troopers who raided the religious retreat were looking for the girl, her baby girl and 50-year-old Dale Barlow.

Under Texas law, girls younger than 16 cannot marry, even with parental approval.

Officials in Texas declined to comment Saturday on whether they had found Barlow, citing a gag order, but the man's probation officer told The Salt Lake Tribune that he was in Arizona.

"He said the authorities had called him (in Colorado City, Arizona) and some girl had accused him of assaulting her and he didn't even know who she was," said Bill Loader, a probation officer in Arizona.

Barlow was sentenced to jail time last year after pleading no contest to conspiracy to commit sexual conduct with a minor. He was also ordered to register as a sex offender for three years while he is on probation.

His lawyer in that case, Bruce Griffen, said he had not spoken to Barlow in a year.

The search warrant instructed officers to look for marriage records or other evidence linking her to the man and the baby. The warrant authorized the seizure of computer drives, CDs, DVDs or photos.

Those inside the retreat did not respond to requests for comment.

The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints broke away from the Mormon church after it disavowed polygamy more than a century ago.

The compound sits down a narrow paved road and behind a hill that shields it almost entirely from view in town. Only the 80-foot-high, gleaming white temple can be seen on the horizon. Authorities blocked access to the gate, keeping onlookers miles away.

The 1,700-acre property had been an exotic game ranch. It is surrounded by dusty, wind-swept land where sheep are raised and mohair produced.

Eldorado is a two-stoplight town of fewer than 2,000 people and located nearly 200 miles northwest of San Antonio. It consists of a cluster of government buildings, a couple churches and a few blocks of houses.

State officials said they did not know how many people lived at the retreat, although local officials estimated about 150 two years ago.

The FLDS has been led by Warren Jeffs since his father died in 2002. In November, Jeffs was sentenced to two consecutive sentences of five years to life in prison in Utah for being an accomplice to the rape of a 14-year-old girl who wed her cousin in an arranged marriage in 2001.

In Arizona, Jeffs is charged as an accomplice with four counts each of incest and sexual conduct with a minor stemming from two arranged marriages between teenage girls and their older male relatives. He is jailed in Kingman, Arizona, awaiting trial.

[veteran72]

Why would anyone want to leave a closed society of deluded religious retardds??....sounds like fundie neocon heaven to me,....

[sharncedar]

Now they can get raped by the system properly. Maybe they can be sent off to work for dirty old men on Wall Street, like proper American girls. Why waste all that young flesh on a bunch of poor losers in Utah? Let''s send ''em to New York, maybe Trump or Puffy Combs can git some of that.

[sgtrds]

Why would anyone want to leave a closed society of deluded religious retardds??....sounds like fundie neocon heaven to me,....

Posted by veteran72 at 08:19 PM : Apr 05, 2008


Yeah sort of like a Pat Robertson wet dream............

[hypnotoad72]

What would Jesus do?

Fewer than 52 girls, to say the very least, and there''s a hell of a lot I want to say about those degenerate perverts and animals and what they''ve done to those children.

And I say this as an adult who endured some sick abuse as a child and am adult enough NOT to engage in the same pattern. Patterns need to be stopped; not perpetuated with the excuse of "Well, it was done to me so it''s okay to do it to others." No, it''s not okay. Not ever and there sure as hell is no excuse for these b*stards.

Sorry to sound angry. The law enforcement and psychologists are doing what they can and the best they can. May the outcome not be the worst case scenario.

[luvcomments]

I''ve never understood why the media glosses over the issue of their "marriages" and always state that the Mormons do not practice or believe in polygamy. In Utah, they were forced to "give it up" in order to have statehood. But by no means do they relinquish their belief in polygamy. They simply deny to outsiders that they think it''s the right thing. Like a lot of other things they do but keep secret amongst themselves.....for good reason; people would be aghast. People are so gullible. How about cruising cemeteries and taking down names off stones so they can baptize these dead people into their
"church" ? How about they do this to dead Jews, also, even though they have been requested not to......countless Jews died for their faith. And the beat goes on...... I don''t care what people wish to believe, but the most dangerous people in the world are always those who know what is best for everybody else.

[termtex01]

"Why would anyone want to leave a closed society of deluded religious retardds??....sounds like fundie neocon heaven to me,....

Posted by veteran72 at 08:19 PM : Apr 05, 2008"

Funny, it''s more accurate to describe it as the Democrat, progressive, liberal, anything-goes, anti-war crowd from California to me.

You need to research a bit more so you can get your facts straight next time without embarrassing yourself again.

[gunsrevil]

How dare they defy the U.S. goverment,. KILL THEM all just like they did in Waco. That will show them who''s boss!!

[irliberal]

It absolutely amazes me that in 2008, places like this still exist. Religious freedom? Sounds like they''re religious terrorists to me, preying on children.

[termtex01]

"They are gonna "Waco" this site for sure!


Posted by TracyMorg_an at 10:10 PM : Apr 05, 2008"

So, do you support the law, or child-abusing lawbreakers? I think we can guess from the implication you made that you favor the lawbreakers.

[irliberal]

Funny, it''''s more accurate to describe it as the Democrat, progressive, liberal, anything-goes, anti-war crowd from California to me.

Posted by TheGateway1 at 10:20 PM

That''s because you''re a partisan idiot. Ask any fundamentalist if he voted for Bush or Kerry in the last election. They''ll say Bush every time. The FLDS absolutely hate gay people too, which is also in line with republican morons. Clearly it''s a republican / fundamentalist / religious nutcase thing.

[veteran72]

This thing could go Jim Jones or David Koresh any minute now,.......ain''t bybull folks entertainin''??

[randyhump001]

This is a cult,not Christianity!Labeling a cult as Christianity simply because the cult uses the term Jesus Christ is as stupid as labeling a white man from the South a "redneck",just because he is from the South!

[irliberal]

Only in the fundamentalist, child molesting, republican USA do they ban smoking a cigarette as illegal but then turn around and prey on little girls.

Freaks.

[veteran72]

ALL religion is a cult. A cult of mentally deficient retardds, programmed by other retardds to do the same to each generation in succession, thereby assuring that the World never runs low on it''s supply of idiots.

[stevex47]

These family values, religious folks have night vision goggles? Um, why? Weapons also? Just a little similiar to terrorists holed up in Mosques. Women as slaves and subserviants? That''s clearly right wing nut job. women from the Left can become President. Just to clear that up.

[irliberal]

Posted by KaylaG04 at 10:34 PM

Kayla clearly prefers that they continue molesting little girls. I guess we know what that makes Kayla don''t we. :)

[termtex01]

"That''''s because you''''re a partisan idiot. Ask any fundamentalist if he voted for Bush or Kerry in the last election. They''''ll say Bush every time. Posted by IRLiberal at 10:23 PM : Apr 05, 2008"

Rather than make this up as you go along, care to cite any facts?

I can prove what I said about liberal anti-war nuts in California. Can you prove your claim?

[termtex01]

"That''''s because you''''re a partisan idiot.

Posted by IRLiberal at 10:23 PM : Apr 05, 2008"

Oh, and you may want to change your posting name as well, since your labeling people here. Can''t expect unbiased opinions from a self-proclaimed liberal.

[cyberdjs4]

"Within the religion that we have encountered, their place of worship is very special to them," Palmer said. "It appears to be of great concern to them if a person from outside their congregation even attempts to step inside their place of worship."

Skrew that! Go in there and get that girl before anything else happens to her.

Despite what most Christians think, our founding fathers made the Constitution the law of the land; not the Bible.
Therefore, you can not break the law in the name of God. Get over yourselves!

This isn''t the Middle East.

[termtex01]

"These family values, religious folks have night vision goggles? Um, why? Weapons also? Just a little similiar to terrorists holed up in Mosques. Women as slaves and subserviants? That''''s clearly right wing nut job. women from the Left can become President. Just to clear that up.

Posted by stevex47 at 10:36 PM : Apr 05, 2008"

Right. However, if you research it, you''ll find terrorists and separatists and terrorists have more in common with liberal Democrats than Republicans. Why else are Democrats bending over backwards to make nicey nicey with terrorists rather than fight them?

[termtex01]

"Despite what most Christians think, our founding fathers made the Constitution the law of the land; not the Bible.


Posted by cyberDJs4 at 10:42 PM : Apr 05, 2008"

Care to follow up and show where you get the data to support the claim you made about Christians here? Are do you want to be a man and admit you made it up to support your arguement?

[irliberal]

Posted by TheGateway1 at 10:44 PM

HAHAHA... you are SO out there. Trying to draw relationships between the "War on terror", liberals, and this little wacko religious compound.

You''re a real piece of work, I tell ya. 8-)

[excoachken]

Texas: More nuts per square foot than a Planter''s factory!!!!

[bozworth4]

The search warrant instructed officers to look for marriage records or other evidence linking her to the man and the baby. The warrant authorized the seizure of computer drives, CDs, DVDs or photos.

Why all the mess?? Give up the computers etc: The catholics did. Bunch of sickos all of them. To get what you want just invoke the name of god. A slick way to control the masses. Guess it''s true allllllll things are possible thru god! HA HA!

[teluride2]

You can''t expect to know a religion without believing in it first. And if you can''t expect to know a religion, how can you presume to judge it? This is a paragon of mine.. This notion that the tattle tale media can somehow cure this countries religious ills, presuming they are ills. We''re so judgmental about everybody. Even the highest achievers among us.. in the highest offices. Its natural to expect a protectionist attitude to the rhetorical media headline.

[teluride2]

You know, its quite normal.. internationally I mean.. beyond the western world.. for 9 year olds to marry.

[teluride2]

That you think its wrong, doesn''t make it wrong. You can proclaim the Law backs you up, but given the current predicament we have in politics, I''d be hardpressed to further strain that argument.

[teluride2]

"Why is somebody illegal?" Because you say he is? Is that all you have to do? Is just.. say he is? Is there a.. meter thingy that you guys got for this sorta thing? That measures whether or not your teevee viewing public finds this sorta thing acceptable or not? And supposing they don''t. Supposing the whole world was on your side.. What does that give you? The "go ahead"? Are they gonna burn their buildings down too?

[teluride2]

Who''s the real.. molester here?

[teluride2]

I don''t know fer sure.. I''ve never married. I was engaged once.. and she stole my ring.

[teluride2]

Who are we gonna go to war with next, Anderson Cooper? Are you going to decide, based on your own algorithm? Who gets to be the pedophile? And thats gonna be the next Iraq? Hmmmm?

[cattlekate]

Bravo to the sheriff of ElDorado County!

These inbreeding cultists, who use girls as *** slaves and kick out the teenage boys, need to be exposed.

Hopefully the states of Colorado, Arizona, S Dakota, and Utah are paying attention and will start doing their duites to eradicate these molestors.

[teluride2]

You leave these people alone. What you offer them is chaos. And they don''t want chaos. They don''t want yer bullshyyt notions of justice. Yer sexxx scandals.. and yer wars on terror.. and wars on genocide.

You leave these people alone.

[teluride2]

Whats exposure going to do? Besides inflame the issue?

[teluride2]

You leave them alone.

[veteran72]

The Founding Fathers of the United States and our Constitution were NOT christians. This is a myth promoted by modern day fundies seeking to Taliban the entire Nation into their little kkklan.
The Founding Fathers were Deists, like most of the intelligent, educated men of those times. They thought the bible and jesus stories were both hilarious and ridiculous, the blatherings of idiots.
But don''t take my word for it, nut wagons. Just do a little research into religious beliefs of the Founding Fathers. Maybe you''ll wise up and rethink your delusions, or just go into denial mode and sit drooling until found and hospitalized by mental health professionals. Either way, it''ll be an improvement on your present state.

[gotagrip]

All religions started out as cults. Now the mainstream ones define the upstarts as cults as if that were a bad thing. Look in the mirror!

My opinion - believe anything you want as long as you don''t hurt anyone else, AND, let kids grow up before you force your religion on them, much less your seed.

Polygamy, if voluntary and between adults, is not ethically wrong in my book, but doesn''t make sense mathematically - what do you do with the extra men?

[differnet]

teluride2,

While it might be normal, it does not mean it''s healthy. The damage done to a female by early pregnancy is enormous. If they are lucky, they will get away with stunted growth. They can end up with fistulas and all sorts of damage to their internal organs and bones. The medical reasons alone are enormous. Mentally, no child should be giving birth to a child. Slavery was normal for thousands of years, should we go back and reinstate that too?

[bobpcoll--2008]

Teluride...May I ask you a question? Are you justifying the acts of polygamists?

[teluride2]

Slavery? Love is slavery. Why? Because you don''t know it. And ya can''t know it. Yer not in love.

[ndg1979]

Seems like teluride2 is either a polygamist himself, or is so screwed up the mind over his own lack of s*x that he is willing to support the rape of young girls and defend a cult "religion" - and that is what this "religion" is - a cult!!

I sure do hope they find the girl who started all this. The fact that she is still missing means that the "church" has something to hide. They always have. Teluride, I hope that if you ever have daughters, that they will escape from you the first chance they get. It isn''t judging people that we are talking about here, it is what is the right way for one human to treat another, and for a relative to screw his youthful female relation is not right - NO MATTER HOW YOU SPIN IT!!!

This is no better than the so called "Church of Scientology", which believes that the ills of society are the result of alien spirits attached to our bodies sent here by a galactic warlord millions of years ago and blown up by bombs in secret volcanos. And here is the worst part, this "church" actually forces you to spend thousands of dollars to learn that - Tom Cruise is an idiot! I can''t understand why the IRS is having such a hard time collecting taxes from this so-called non-profit "church".

Our society has become an atrocity!

[teluride2]

"Teluride...May I ask you a question? Are you justifying the acts of polygamists?"

Do I need to justify it?

[bobpcoll--2008]

Well? You seem to support the notion that young females are the available chatel of older men..and that is acceptable

[teluride2]

Have they been proven guilty already?

[teluride2]

Or are you assuming? Based on rhetoric. The rhetoric of what you should be examining. What you should be scrutinizing.. The messengers.

A man is not guilty by word of mouth. That is a fundamental ethic of this here country. And you''ve no right to intrude upon legal citizens rights, based on a lie.

[bobpcoll--2008]

Not the point...This a good example of "lawyer ball".....Does the State have the right to seek to defend the welfare of these young ladies in the compound?

[teluride2]

Because this here is the topic of a CNN news segment, should be the issue.

[teluride2]

"Not the point...This a good example of "lawyer ball".....Does the State have the right to seek to defend the welfare of these young ladies in the compound?"

No. Unless you can prove that there is a threat to them. And you haven''t.

[teluride2]

You''re operating on fear. On what the.. "fear speakers" tell ya. The panic experts. No evidence.. only rhetoric.

[bobpcoll--2008]

The real issue is, in my opinion, whether the State has the right to protect the most vilnerable...acoording to the laws of the land......versus the laws of "the church" ...or perceived "civil liberterarians"