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TLC's "Sister Wives" Investigated, Bigamy Charges Possible, Say Reports

Robyn Sullivan and Christine, Kody, Meri, and Janelle Brown taste potential wedding cakes at a bakery.
Robyn Sullivan and Christine, Kody, Meri, and Janelle Brown (TLC) TLC

LEHI, Utah (CBS/AP) TLC's new series starring Kody Brown and his four wives, 13 children, and three stepchildren is causing quite a stir, but the stars of the show, who hope to show how normal their polygamist lifestyle is, are attracting some potentially unwelcome attention.

According to reports, Brown and his wives - Meri, Janelle, Christine and Robyn - are under investigation by police in Utah for a possible charge of felony bigamy.

"At the conclusion of the investigation, the evidence will be forwarded to the Utah County Attorney's Office for review and possible prosecution," Lt. Darren Paul told People Magazine.

Police in Lehi, Utah say they were looking into the 41-year-old salesman and his lifestyle long before the show debuted, but the publicity surrounding the show sparked the investigation, reports RadarOnline.com.

Producers of the show, which premiered Sunday, had anticipated legal issues and had contacted the Utah Attorney General's Office months before the program aired in order to make sure they were not overstepping any boundaries.

"They called us and said, 'Hey, are you going to shut us down?'" Scott Troxel, spokesman for the attorney general, told RadarOnline.com.

Troxel reportedly said that the attorney general's office does not have the resources to take down polygamists unless it suspects crimes such as child abuse or child trafficking.

One of Brown's wives, Janelle who has six children with him, wants the criticism of her family and lifestyle to stop.

"If we raise productive, contributing members of society who are moral and ethical, that's our final goal, whatever their path is," she told People.

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