400 Children Taken From Polygamist Sect

Authorities Investigating Abuse At Compound Put Children In Texas Custody

(CBS/AP)  More than 400 children, mostly girls in pioneer dresses, were swept into state custody from a polygamist sect in what authorities described Monday as the largest child-welfare operation in Texas history.

The dayslong raid on the sprawling compound built by now-jailed polygamist leader Warren Jeffs was sparked by a 16-year-old girl's call to authorities that she was being abused and that girls as young as 14 and 15 were being forced into marriages with much older men.

Dressed in home-sewn, ankle-length dresses with their hair pinned up in braids, some 133 women left the Yearning for Zion Ranch of their own volition along with the children.

State troopers were holding an unknown number of men in the compound until investigators finished executing a house-to-house search of the 1,700-acre property, which includes a medical facility, numerous large housing units and an 80-foot white limestone temple that rises discordantly out of the brown scrub.

"In my opinion, this is the largest endeavor we've ever been involved in in the state of Texas," said Children's Protective Services spokesman Marleigh Meisner, who said she was also involved in the 1993 siege of the Branch Davidian compound in Waco.

The members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints spent their days raising numerous children, tilling small gardens and doing chores. But at least one former resident says life was not some idyllic replica of 19th-century life.

"Once you go into the compound, you don't ever leave it," said Carolyn Jessop, one of the wives of the alleged leader of the Eldorado complex. Jessop left with her eight children before the sect moved to Texas.

Jessop said the community emphasized self-sufficiency because they believed the apocalypse was near.

The women were not allowed to wear red - the color Jeffs said belonged to Jesus - and were not allowed to cut their hair. They were also kept isolated from the outside world.

They "were born into this," said Jessop, 40. "They have no concept of mainstream society, and their mothers were born into and have no concept of mainstream culture. Their grandmothers were born into it."

Meisner said each child will get an advocate and an attorney but predicted that if they end up permanently separated from their families, the sheltered children would have a tough acclimation to modern life.

Tela Mange, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Public Safety, said the criminal investigation was still under way, and that charges would be filed if investigators determined children were abused.

Still uncertain is the location of the girl whose call initiated the raid. She allegedly had a child at 15, and authorities were looking for documents, family photos or even a family Bible with lists of marriages and children to demonstrate the girl was married to Dale Barlow, 50.

Efforts to locate the girl are hampered because the women and children in custody are related to one another, share similar names or were given different names at different times, reports CBS News correspondent Hari Sreenivasan.

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

The church members were being held at Fort Concho, a 150-year-old fort built to protect frontier settlements, to be interviewed about the 16-year-old girl and whether, in fact, the teenager was among them.

DPS troopers arrested one man on a charge of interfering with the duties of a public servant during the search warrant, but it was not Barlow, Mange said.

"For the most part, residents at the ranch have been cooperative. However, because of some of the diplomatic efforts in regards to the residents, the process of serving the search warrants is taking longer than usual," said DPS spokesman Tom Vinger, who declined to elaborate. "The annex is extremely large and the temple is massive."

Barlow's probation officer, Bill Loader, told The Salt Lake Tribune that he was in Arizona. Phone messages seeking comment from Loader and Barlow were not immediately returned Monday.

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

The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, headed by Jeffs after his father's death in 2002, broke away from the Mormon church after the latter disavowed polygamy more than a century ago.

The group is concentrated along the Arizona-Utah line but several enclaves have been built elsewhere, including in Texas. Several years ago it paid $700,000 for the Eldorado property, a former exotic animal ranch, and began building the compound as authorities in Arizona and Utah began increasingly scrutinizing the group.

On Monday, a woman who had once been in a similar sect told The Early Show that women are treated like "breeding machines" in the sects.

"(Polygamy is) a life where, as a female, you really don't think for yourself, you're basically told what to do. You really are just a breeding machine to further the agenda of the male patriarchy," said Laurie Allen to anchor Julie Chen. "This is what I experienced."

The compound sits down a narrow paved road and behind a hill that shields it almost entirely from view in Eldorado, a town of fewer than 2,000 surrounded by sheep ranches nearly 200 miles northwest of San Antonio. Only the 80-foot-high white temple can be seen on the horizon.

Jeffs is jailed in Kingman, Ariz., where he awaits trial for four counts each of incest and sexual conduct with a minor stemming from two arranged marriages between teenage girls and their older male relatives.

In November, he 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.

The investigation prompted by the girl's call last week was the first in Texas involving the sect.

[ianlou]

Isn''t this Bush country? Waco Wacko country?
Wonder what''s in the water down there. Maybe too much peyote in the air.

[docpeter-2009]

ianlou, in answer your question, No. Note, that these folks were mostly transplants from the Az/UT border and not Texans. They probably crossed the border illegally, since we Texans DO NOT approve or condone incest and polygamy.

My guess is that they didn''t "watch where the huskies go and don''t you eat the yellow snow" as Frank Zappa recommended.

Besides this occurred in West Texas, Crawford is in central Texas, two different water sources.

[lathenson]

I want to clarify that this sect is not affiliated with "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints". That this is a splinter group. People that are not familiar with the beliefs of mainstream Mormonism get so confused by stories that news reporters post on the LDS faith. They can''t seperate the individual groups that are out there. This on the whole is misinformation on your part... I understand that views have some individual responcibility to make sure what they hear is truth.
Please varify.

[kattyclayz]

Why is it the wrong doings from one cult,(David C.) gave all of Waco a bad name to people NOT from Texas? I don''t think that all of Illinois are mass shooters from the college shooting. Anyway, it clearly said that this temple was built by the people from Utah & Arizona. Utah I believe is where the cult originated from.

I''m all for religious rights of any type, but arranged marriages and people under the age of 18 (I don''t care with parental consent or not) is WRONG. A child doesn''t know enough to make that decision and in most cases, neither does an 18-19 year old. I got married at 18 and it was the biggest mistake of my life. I really hope that they find this young girl that was supposedly being abused and finally put an end to this sect for good.

[maedean]

This church is nothing more than a bunch of pedophiles hiding behind a religion. The children pay for there warped way of life and grow up just like them.

[tomanyt]

kattyclayz..."A child doesn''''t know enough to make that decision and in most cases, neither does an 18-19 year old." My best-friends grandparents were married at the age of 15/23. They just celebrated their 63 wedding anniversary. I don''t think age has anything to do with it. It has to do with the level of maturity of the people involved.

[tomanyt]

maedean...Just like the Catholics, the Baptists, etc. They are all the same.

[lochlan-2009]

Poor people, from both sides. Letting their, and worse, their childrens minds get corrupted by these insane so-called "preachers", and the invasion of their lives by the U.S. government. It''s sad.

[minnick8-2009]

Warren Jeffs is delussional. He has perpetrated the abuse of minor children and he deserves to be punished along with any and all other men who use and abuse children. When I first learned that the polygamists had located a portion of their group to Texas as a result of pressures being applied against them in Utah and Arizona, I knew it was a matter of time before Texas authorities would get involved in investigating and exposing that lifestyle. Way to go Texas.

[bozworth4]

Poor people, from both sides. Letting their, and worse, their childrens minds get corrupted by these insane so-called "preachers", and the invasion of their lives by the U.S. government. It''''s sad.


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Posted by lochlan at 10:52 AM : Apr 07, 2008

Swaggert, Roberts, Falwell, Baker, the list goes on. Money oils the machine, as well as corrupt lifestyles. Wait and see other religions will be law breakers too. Invasions will happen on a regular basis. And be commonplace. Greed, corruption, ssx, all a part of religion in the USA. Let freedom ring. Sure is a good thing we respect the religious customs in Iraq and don''t desicrate their holy places. But we got these here freedoms!! HAHAHA! Understand, I don''t agree with this religion, however it is there right to practice as they believe. (I still think their practice is wrong).

[yongamerica]

I don''''t agree with this religion, however it is there right to practice as they believe. (I still think their practice is wrong). Posted by bozworth4

What a moronic thing to say. You state that as long as its a practiced religon, its Okay to break the Law? These people were breaking federal and state laws. Their religon is nothing more than an occult, it''s not recognized even by the church they splintered from. Criminals as its shown here are not allowed to hide from the law under the guise of being closer to God.

[bozworth4]

What a moronic thing to say. You state that as long as its a practiced religon, its Okay to break the Law? These people were breaking federal and state laws. Their religon is nothing more than an occult, it''''s not recognized even by the church they splintered from. Criminals as its shown here are not allowed to hide from the law under the guise of being closer to God.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by yongamerica

GEEEEEEEEEEEE. Thanks so much for straightening me out. God forbid we break mans laws. They do differ from god worshipping countries around the world. So glad to be set straight. And yes I have to agree this bunch needs to be delt with. But not withstanding mans judgement, there might be a higher authority. I think looking in a hat for golden script is a good basis for religion anyway.

[beehive21-2009]

All religions will one day be ban as they produce lots of perverted ideas.
All the above, on the word of a 16 yo ,who cannot be found ? We had a Constitution somewhere ,or is Texas breaking the law ? This can happen to you, the police come busting in on the word of some 16 yo down the street that cannot be found , something smells here and the constitution of the United States is being stomped upon.

[cbk16]

If someone comes forward and say''s that President Clinton Raped them, could the authorities round up all his family and extended family?

[guadalcanal3]

All in the name of religion eh?...Only when the human race emerges from from it''s naive cradle of superstitions,and religions will it be ready to explore our Solar System and the Galaxy and learn the ''real'' truth of who we are..and where we came from and how we came to be...It''s too bad the world could not have somebody like Carl Sagen to run it..

[cbk16]

If Obama was a member of a Church that taught hate, and broke the law (the hate crimes act), could the authorities round up all the members of this hateful church?

[newsjunky5]

Next thing you know, they''ll be moving cocaine with Hell''s Angels, like the Amish. Funny, you don''t hear the Amish complain about high gas prices, just war.

[newsjunky5]

"If Obama was a member of a Church that taught hate, and broke the law (the hate crimes act), could the authorities round up all the members of this hateful church? "
---------------------
No. You can teach hate, you just can''t act upon it. You can lust after little girls if that''s your thing, but you can''t act on it. If you witness any of those illegal acts and do nothing, you could be "rounded up."

And if children are involved who are under 5, they get rounded down.

[aggiekat2004]

It disgusts me when people hide behind religion to justify their perverted lifestyles.

You''ll find this in most organized religion...Catholic Church and priests, etc.

Just because you belong to a church, doesn''t mean that you''re a "good" person. A life lived in a moral way means more than the fact that you simply go to church.

[aggiekat2004]

See, people even murder their own children, and then get off, because they were told by God to do it.

As long as you tie religion to it, you can get away with ANYTHING.

[cbk16]

"If Obama was a member of a Church that taught hate, and broke the law (the hate crimes act), could the authorities round up all the members of this hateful church? "
---------------------
No. You can teach hate, you just can''''t act upon it. You can lust after little girls if that''''s your thing, but you can''''t act on it. If you witness any of those illegal acts and do nothing, you could be "rounded up."

And if children are involved who are under 5, they get rounded down.
-----------------------------------------
Since Obama''s religion discrimiated against White people, according to the logic above, they all have to be rounded up. I thought in this country we had something call due process, not guilt by association.

[kennergirl]

Any particular religion in itself is not bad. It''s the people who "preach" and who manipulate and twist it to be something other than what it was meant to be who are bad.

It is sad that people looking for a way to be closer to Christ are taken advantage by these so called preachers who exploit them. It must be a terrible life to live being a young girl born into these kind of "cults". An adult can make a choice about living like this whereas a child born into situations like this doesn''t have that choice.

How a person could get caught up in a sect like that is beyond me. Perhaps some like being told what to do under the guise of making God happy when all they are really doing is making another man happy.

[michellem99-2009]

It is sad that ladies of any age are used just a breeding maichine..the man tells her what she can/can''t do. In short a brain washed human robot. Ladies ye being used..get out of that cult and take as many with ye as ye can..

[maedean]

This church is nothing more than a bunch of pedophiles hiding behind a religion. The women should go to jail just like the perverted men who rape these kids. Or if they want to belong to this baby raper religion they should spade the women. So the kids don''t have to pay the price..

[newsjunky5]

"If Obama was a member of a Church that taught hate, and broke the law (the hate crimes act), could the authorities round up all the members of this hateful church? "
---------------------
No. You can teach hate, you just can''''''''t act upon it. You can lust after little girls if that''''''''s your thing, but you can''''''''t act on it. If you witness any of those illegal acts and do nothing, you could be "rounded up."

And if children are involved who are under 5, they get rounded down.
---------------------------------
--------
Since Obama''''s religion discrimiated against White people, according to the logic above, they all have to be rounded up. I thought in this country we had something call due process, not guilt by association."
------------------------
No it doesn''t. As far as I''ve heard, his minister complained about treatment by some whitefolks, but never went out and attacked/enslaved/raped them. That isn''t against the law. Discrimination? If you want to call it that, but it''s not an illegal form of discrimination.

-Guilt by association would be locking up a sister of Barlow''s who doesn''t have any knowledge of his crimes, and is not legal to do.
-Guilt by complicity is having knowledge of the crime, and is punishable.

[jankebenz]

this is about a girl whethter they found her or not --getting pregnant at 14 giving birth at 15. this is about kids not getting an education and not being allowed a voice. not allowed to think for themselves.

does anyone of you want your kid in this situation?

Posted by trbl24u at 03:38 PM : Apr 07, 2008

Not that I condone what goes on at this compound, but
young teens getting pregnant is the norm in this country.At least in this group the baby is not aborted, or thrown in the garbage, or flushed down the toilet.Life for these teens may not be ideal, but I''m sure its better than on the street

I just watched the news conference on Television. Reporters are hammering CPS about their audacity of taking children from loving homes and putting them into foster care, What is wrong with the press in Texas?

What is wrong with you people? The Congregational Church is a mainstream Church of Christ. Unlike most of the churches in the Bible Belt!

[newsjunky5]

Was Mitt Romney on the compound''s phonelist of clients?

[godofredo29]

I blame myself.

[f1863d]

These people are just like Homestead Heritage of Waco, TX except at Homestead the leaders don%u2019t allow men to have multiple wives and they make sure the girls are of legal age. Very crafty to stay out of legal trouble. But the rest, very very close to the same.

[flreason]

Don''t blame the women. They have been psychologically and physically oppressed from birth, and sequestered where they cannot escape or hope for a life other than one of servitude and obedience. They have no phones, no televisions, no education, and no access to information that would allow them to assert their rights. The men who enslave women and children in the name of religion are the ones who are responsible.

[jankebenz]

Looking at the picture, I see well dressed, well groomed and obviously healthy girls and women.They don,t drink ,smoke,do drugs,eat junk food, could it be that they live in better conditions than the outside world?

[yongamerica]

The Congregational Church is a mainstream Church of Christ. Unlike most of the churches in the Bible Belt!

Posted by terrywood1

Get real please.
This cult lives in a compound. This cult promotes and practices sexual deviant acts that are felony crimes. This isn''t a church, but some sick people living under the guise of religon. What would JESUS do if he were walk into this COMPUND and see the fornication and sin that goes on dya after day?

[idnnsg]

jankebenz asks, "could it be that they live in better conditions than the outside world?"

The obvious answer is "No", unless you think becoming a *** slave at age 13 to 50-60 year old slobbering old goats is a great career choice!

[displeased]

They don,t drink ,smoke,do drugs,eat junk food, could it be that they live in better conditions than the outside world?
Posted by jankebenz

They may be in physically better condition than others due to their oppression, but they have no freedom to make their own decisions. Sure, some could make unhealthy decisions such as becoming addicted to drugs, but they could also be even healthier if they had the freedom to play sports or exercise or educate themselves. They also don''t have the freedom to NOT have kids. So no, they are not living in better conditions unless they enjoy not thinking for themselves.

[f1863d]

Abuse is an ambiguous word. What is discipline to one is maltreatment to another.
If you consider a life of servitude and obedience without television, newspapers or magazines with limited education and no hope of college the better of situations then they, the ladies, are better off.

[joyous88]

another loyal bushie and good republiCon

is under arrest, want to bet every voter in that

compound is a good republiCon living off the

"faith based initiative for churchs"

faith based bribe is a better description

[f1863d]

Such a shame they use the cover of %u2018church%u2019 and all the ramifications of biblical disobedience to enslave the participants. Just like Homestead Heritage of Waco!

[f1863d]

http://www.factnet.org/vbforum/showthread.php?t=11980

[mandylou4u]

This is a tough story because people have a way of twisting religion to make it fit what they want. What I am looking at is, if you have to coax someone into having s3x, they probably shouldn''t be having it. Some of these girls are only 10 years old. This is wrong in all parts of wrong. Get this mental pic: 45 year old man, mounting a 13 year old little girl. You tell me if this is right in any book. Even with the little girls being protected, they still have to coax them into having *** with these old men. Now common sense tells you, if you feel that something isn''t right, it probably isn''t and you probably should have the right to say who you can sleep with.

[f1863d]

factnet.org/vbforum/showthread.php?t=11980

copy and paste. just add www.

[f1863d]

factnet.org/vbforum/
showthread.php?t=11980

be sure the thread = 11980

[joyous88]

i see that the right wing republicon noise machine

is busy laying covering fire for their evangelical

friends

scumbags all

[memerider]

Cult brainwashing is just that, and people are receptive to it--especially if you get them as children--the younger the better. The doctrine is used to frame their lives.

That''s how the Taliban and TV preachers both operate--they know there is a soft target audience they can tap into, so they plant their basic doctrine and then repeatedly drive it in so it becomes automatic to their subjects. One the doctrine is internalized, the subjects automatically conduct themselves according to the cult-master''s mental programming.

Humans have the capacity to transcend their animal nature, but such cults simply prey on it, and then the subjects exhibit Stockholm Syndrome.

[caliengineer]

Under WHAT Constitution are the holding an entire group of unaccused men prisoner in their own compound???

I am against the FLDS and the LDS, too. BUT, I will not cease decrying this violation of the Constitution of the United States of America. I took an oath into the Marines.

[mcv57]

Posted by MichelleM99

This a social mandate. Actually, King David and his son, King Solomen were polygamist. A socially accepted blessing during the time.

The U.S. law enforcement agency is such a hypocracy.

[mandylou4u]

caliengineer, I totally agree with what you say. We have to uphold our constitution. But what would you say be done to at least help the women and men who don''t want to be a part of this, but have no way out? Their constitutional rights are being exploited too.

[questionnews]

i see that the right wing republicon noise machine

is busy laying covering fire for their evangelical

friends

scumbags all

Posted by joyous88 at 05:54 PM : Apr 07, 2008


I looked back quite a few pages & don''t much of what you are posting about. Certainly nothing that would be described as "right wing republicon noise machine". Most posts disapprove of what these people did.

[liberalme]

What is wrong with you people? The Congregational Church is a mainstream Church of Christ. Unlike most of the churches in the Bible Belt!

Posted by terrywood1 at 04:

Come on there is perversion in every religious sect--Baptist, Methodist, Catholic, not one has gone unscathed for some sort of perversion--Your particular church may not have done anything wrong, but you can bet another branch, somewhere has, in the name of GOD.