Officials question kids at Warren Jeffs retreat

ELDORADO, Texas - State welfare investigators sealed off a secretive religious retreat built by jailed polygamist leader Warren Jeffs in order to investigate the treatment of children there, officials said Friday.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080404/...leader_retreat

[Carol25]

Originally posted by Justice_Dawg [*]ELDORADO, Texas - State welfare investigators sealed off a secretive religious retreat built by jailed polygamist leader Warren Jeffs in order to investigate the treatment of children there, officials said Friday.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080404/...leader_retreat [/*]

I would certainly be interested in knowing what the people were being arrested for (it could be a variety of things) and what the children were saying in the interviews. I hope we hear more.

[cleo612]

A more in-depth article:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/04/04/texas.ranch/index.html

(CNN) -- Texas authorities are investigating "the safety of children" at a ranch occupied by about 400 followers of polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs, officials said Friday.


An aerial view taken last year shows some living quarters at polygamist leader Warren Jeffs' Texas ranch.

1 of 2 Authorities have sealed off the 1,900-acre ranch near Eldorado and no one is allowed to enter or leave, officials with Child Protective Services and the Department of Public Safety said.

The people living at the ranch are cooperating, authorities said.

Escorted by police, social workers entered the compound in south central Texas at 8 p.m. Thursday after receiving "a referral," said Child Protective Services spokeswoman Marleigh Meisner. Watch police seal off the compound »

Child Protective Services "is conducting an investigation into safety issues of the children who live within the compound," she said.

~~~~~~~~

More info at link posted above.

[StickyBeak]

Officials Serve Warrants at Jeffs' Ranch


http://news.aol.com/story/_a/officia...8?ecid=RSS0001

[sarahhod]

http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2008Apr...etreat,00.html

[juliekan]

I have family who lives about 80 miles from this compound. The people of Eldorado were appalled when they found out what was being built out there...that's pure Bible Belt and definantly not poligamy country. Law Enforcement has been very nervous about the whole thing...I know everyone thinks about the Branch Dividians. I would hope that some of the girls they took in could escape this lifestyle, but I'm sure they don't want to lose their families, and have been raised to be afraid of hell fire and damnation if they were to say anything bad about anyone. I hope at least the one person that filed the complaint escapes.

[juliekan]

6 pm news reports that 18 girls are in custody at this point from age 6 months to 17 years of age. I guess just for interviews? (how do you interview a 6 mo old?) They showed a Baptist church bus driving them away from the compound...that is somehow funny...couldn't they have used a school bus or something?

Originally posted by juliekan [*]6 pm news reports that 18 girls are in custody at this point from age 6 months to 17 years of age. I guess just for interviews? (how do you interview a 6 mo old?) They showed a Baptist church bus driving them away from the compound...that is somehow funny...couldn't they have used a school bus or something? [/*]

Here is a Link

[texski]

the problem is to find a legal way to get into these compounds. another poster on the warren jeffs board said that texasdoes no have any oversight on home schooled children. if they were required to take yearly tests, i would be possible to see if they were being taught anything, except their cults doctrine.
if they dont go to school, they dont have to have vacines, either, do they?
at the old place in utah most of the children and extra wives of these dirty old men were all on welfare of one kind or another. so we are paying for the kids and the church leaders takes all the money for themselves.
i should think that the federal government should be able to do something, but have never heard any of them try.
the only thing i can think of would be if they are making the young men and women work with machinery at an age that is not allowed by fed work rules.

[juliekan]

Originally posted by Justice_Dawg [*]

Here is a Link [/*]

Thanks. To further pinpoint their location, they are close to San Angelo TX.

Originally posted by texski [*]the problem is to find a legal way to get into these compounds. another poster on the warren jeffs board said that texasdoes no have any oversight on home schooled children. if they were required to take yearly tests, i would be possible to see if they were being taught anything, except their cults doctrine.
if they dont go to school, they dont have to have vacines, either, do they?
at the old place in utah most of the children and extra wives of these dirty old men were all on welfare of one kind or another. so we are paying for the kids and the church leaders takes all the money for themselves.
i should think that the federal government should be able to do something, but have never heard any of them try.
the only thing i can think of would be if they are making the young men and women work with machinery at an age that is not allowed by fed work rules. [/*]

I hope that's not true about the federal aid being taken by the men.

Innocent children should never be deprived of food and medical care just because the adults are abusing the system.

I suspect that is why the feds aren't doing anything about these plural wives and families.

They should be investigating the abuse of this "religion." I've read that it's illegal to be plurally married, but if they're not marrying by legal means, the children are considered without legitimacy, and still have to be cared for, just as any single parent's child would be.

What to do?

[cleo612]

http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/04/04/...nch/index.html


ELDORADO, Texas (CNN) -- Authorities say they removed 52 children, ages 6 months to 17 years, from a West Texas ranch occupied by followers of imprisoned polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs.

Texas authorties stand in front of a bus they used to transport children from a FLDS compound Friday.

Eighteen girls have been placed in the temporary custody of the state under a court order, said Child Protective Services spokeswoman Marleigh Meisner.

Authorities said they continue to search the 1,900-acre YFZ ranch, and at least one suspect is being sought by police.

Meisner said troopers and child welfare officials arrived at the secluded ranch Thursday evening with arrest and search warrants. They were responding to a report of "physical abuse" and neglect involving a 16-year-old girl. At this point in the investigation, she added, the abuse does not appear to be sexual.

Another Child Protective Services spokesman, Darrell Azar, said the 18 girls were placed in state custody because it appeared that they "had been abused or were at immediate risk of future
~~~~~~~~~~~

More info posted at link above

[juliekan]

some of the girls were pregnant, room full of babies unattended...

www.kxxv.com/global/story.asp?s=8119046

[juliekan]

the 18 who were removed by court order were thought to be abused, neglected or at risk

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/...e/5674781.html

[juliekan]

"According to state law, a girl younger than 16 cannot be married, not even with parental consent. According to the warrent, the girl turned 16 in January and has a baby about 8 months old."

http://gosanangelo.com/news/2008/apr/04/eldorado0404/

[Details]

I'd be pretty darn sure it's true about the men taking all the federal aid. This is just a scamming cult - the men get all the money and multiple young wives, they keep control with threats of damnation and isolation, and kick out a bunch of the young boys when they get old enough for a wife, so they'll have enough girls to give the old men multiple wives. It's a very sick, sick group.

I've heard before about them working all the kids from an early age, not in safe environments too. When they get a little older, and generally not old enough (wouldn't want them to be able to think for themselves), the girls are married off to older guys. The guys - unless they've shown how very properly brainwashed, loyal, and unscrupulous they are - are thrown away, kicked out for any pretext, so there will be enough girls for the multiple wives the cult demands. They've got it pretty rough - no skills, no understanding of the real world, little education, and a belief that they're worthless because they aren't in the cult anymore. IIRC, there was a documentary about them. Very sad.


I'm glad the gov't is stepping in - whether a cult or a militia - no one should be able to set up their own mini-government on American soil and break laws and harm children there.

[juliekan]

Preview of a documentary about polygamy under Warren Jeffs...is almost 10 minutes long but worth the watch

Damned to Heaven

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1cTk2cJQac

[juliekan]

And Warren Jeffs is a racist?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jackso...f_*_66129.html

[texski]

warren jeffs second trial was supposed to start march 19. it has been delayed until fall.
one web site i was told about is http://texaspolygamy.blogspot.com.
it is interesting, but sometimes wierd.
local news paper is www.myeldorado.net.
i hope the arrests stay in the news, people really need to know more about this cult, for the sake of the children and the women who are born in this lifestyle and find themselves unable to get out. a great book was written by a women who anaged to leave, with her children, is ESCAPE, by carolyn jessop,, broadway books, new york.
i could not understand before why the women stayed there, this told me why

[walton]

http://www.myeldorado.net/

Buses from Schleicher County ISD and First Baptist Church of Eldorado were pressed into service Friday to transport 167 children away from the YFZ Ranch where they had been removed from their parents custody by Texas Child Protective Services in accordance with a court order issued by 51st District Judge Barbara Walther.

The children range in age from 6 months of 17 years. There are 96 boys and 71 girls. CPS is trying to determine if the parents of the babies are among the young girls they took into custody, or if the parents even live at the YFZ Ranch.

CPS is seeking immediate temporary custody of 18 of the children while the remainder are to be interviewed to determine if they are "at risk."



I do believe I love the state of Texas.

[texski]

my love for texas knows no bounds.
remember, texas, our texas, all hail our mighty state, texas, our texas, so beautiful, so great. have not sung that song since i was in grade school in honey island, texas. hope i got it right.

[juliekan]

Originally posted by walton [*]http://www.myeldorado.net/

Buses from Schleicher County ISD and First Baptist Church of Eldorado were pressed into service Friday to transport 167 children away from the YFZ Ranch where they had been removed from their parents custody by Texas Child Protective Services in accordance with a court order issued by 51st District Judge Barbara Walther.

The children range in age from 6 months of 17 years. There are 96 boys and 71 girls. CPS is trying to determine if the parents of the babies are among the young girls they took into custody, or if the parents even live at the YFZ Ranch.

CPS is seeking immediate temporary custody of 18 of the children while the remainder are to be interviewed to determine if they are "at risk."



I do believe I love the state of Texas. [/*]

Thank you very much, LE in Eldorado has been trying to "peacefully" get into the compound for years now. I'm happiest that from your report (which I did not see earlier) BOYS were also removed. I just hope the girl that filed the complaint got out of there, they had not identified her earlier in the day.
Texas forever

[walton]

Pilots photos of the compound. http://web.sccn2.net/flds/02-19-08.htm

What started it all: http://web.sccn2.net/FLDS/Started.htm

More info: http://web.sccn2.net/FLDS/links.htm

[walton]

Originally posted by juliekan [*]
Thank you very much, LE in Eldorado has been trying to "peacefully" get into the compound for years now. I'm happiest that from your report (which I did not see earlier) BOYS were also removed. I just hope the girl that filed the complaint got out of there, they had not identified her earlier in the day.
Texas forever [/*]

I must tell you that I am quite impressed with the LE in this area. Sheriff Doran and others have acted imo very professional.

A big kudos to all those that stepped up to the plate.

[walton]

Originally posted by texski [*]my love for texas knows no bounds.
remember, texas, our texas, all hail our mighty state, texas, our texas, so beautiful, so great. have not sung that song since i was in grade school in honey island, texas. hope i got it right. [/*]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2OHR0F5GIo

Dean Martin Ricky Nelson- my rifle pony and me.

2008 version The pony was a bus.

[juliekan]

Texski and Walton

www.myeldorado.net has great stories about Sheriff Doran and the research he did on the sect that moved into his sleepy little county. I'm very impressed. Also there is Texas Rep. Harvey Hilderbran's House Bill 3006 that he wrote and started to push through as soon as they realized that the polygamist sect was settling in Eldorado. It raises the marriageable age to 16 for girls in Texas, with or without parental consent, and makes it illegal for step-parents and step-children to get married.

[juliekan]

Originally posted by Aame [*]

Baptist buses usually are, painted over school buses.

They don't have the choice. However, they were there to step up. [/*]

No must be a prosperous church, was like a real nice van...No harm intended by the remark it was just sorta ironic to see the baptists haulin' off the kids from the sect. (I was raised Church of Christ...we're almost exactly alike!) I'm sure they were the happiest people in the world to get this great opportunity to help out. to them for steppin' up.

The written articles keep stressing the compound residents are FULLY cooperating....however in one of the news videos, the sheriff had to bring in armored personnel carriers and treaten to run over the men who parked their trucks in the way of their entry to the compound. Not what I would call fully cooperating. I hope they are able to FULLY search and get all the underaged girls (and boys if they wish to leave).

I did watch a special on the other 2 compounds the followers of Jeffs have and the poor children and women have been so brainwashed that some of them will probably not ask to be kept away and will most likely protest.

The special talked of how most of the women and children do qualify for food stamps and (if I recall correctly ) cash assistance while the cult is actually very wealthy and could very adequately take care of these women and children without the government assistance they receive. They had beautifuly furnished buildings.

The dirty old men of the cult find any reason - or basically no reason - to xcommunicate the young men and run them out of town to keep from the girls having a choice but to marry the old men in the forced family arranged marriages.

The young men who are run out of town are ill equiped to make it in the real world and there were so many that the local towns folkis took notice and tried to help them assimilate.

I pray that all these young girls can be kept away from the cult until they can see what the world is like and understand they do not have to go back to these old men and incestuous marriages.

I applaud this judge and sheriff and all who are working to rescue these young people. May God be with them.

[juliekan]

Yes, we can't forget the "Lost Boys". That's why I was so glad to hear that there were some boys removed from the compound in Eldorado. Here's how the FLDS boys have fared in other places.


http://www.kcpw.org/article/5352

Were these kids put in foster care? Sometimes,foster care is not much better then cults.

[juliekan]

Originally posted by dicee [*]Were these kids put in foster care? Sometimes,foster care is not much better then cults. [/*]

You've got to remember this is a sleepy little country town. I have cousins that live in San Angelo which is where some were taken, and it's got more than 2 red lights in town (that's all Eldorado has), but its a nice countrified, bible belt city. They should be safe. God willing...

Originally posted by CAT TOY [*]Yes there were signs of imminent danger that these women, and children were in. Good for them. I hope they all get a taste of the real world and NEVER look back.

The Warren Jeffs Cult, is coming to an end. It may take a few more years, but hopefully they will round them all up. Wait until the rape trial for her husbands case goes to trial. I believe he will be found guilty as well. Someone needs to care enough to rescue these women, wouldnt you give them a room in your home to save their life if you had the room? I know I would.

But the children, they are innocent, and they are being brainwashed. It's sick.

CT [/*]

Yes, I would.

[walton]

http://www.childbrides.org/sex_Fox11..._indicted.html

Dale Evans Barlow was one of the eight men that they took to court 2 years ago. At that time Judge Steven Conn sentenced him to 45 days.


Maybe if Judge Steven Conn would have sentenced him longer this young girl wouldn't be a victim today.


http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/04/04/...nch/index.html

According to the search warrant, authorities are seeking Dale Barlow, 50, who they suspect of having married and fathered a child with a 16-year-old girl.

Originally posted by walton [*]http://www.childbrides.org/sex_Fox11..._indicted.html

Dale Evans Barlow was one of the eight men that they took to court 2 years ago. At that time Judge Steven Conn sentenced him to 45 days.


Maybe if Judge Steven Conn would have sentenced him longer this young girl wouldn't be a victim today.


http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/04/04/...nch/index.html

According to the search warrant, authorities are seeking Dale Barlow, 50, who they suspect of having married and fathered a child with a 16-year-old girl. [/*]

45 days??

[walton]

Originally posted by Justice_Dawg [*]

45 days?? [/*]

My mistake. It was Kelly Fischer who got 45 days.

Here is what Judge Steve Conn had to say about that sentencing. Check out the entry dated Aug. 4th 2006.

The practice of plural marriage isn't the only religious belief he finds odd.
Conn said he believes Fischer was motivated by "sincere religious" conviction when he took his 16-year-old stepdaughter as a plural wife.
But, Conn said, he personally finds polygamy an "abominable" belief. "I find it very hard to accept [that] someone can subscribe to a religion that allows them to have multiple wives at the same time," Conn said.

Some of the things he finds odd with other religions are NOT against the law. Nor do they include taking young children related or not as their plural wife.

[Carol25]

Originally posted by walton [*]


I must tell you that I am quite impressed with the LE in this area. Sheriff Doran and others have acted imo very professional.

A big kudos to all those that stepped up to the plate. [/*]

That was my first thought as well! Very impressed!

[Carol25]

I am guessing the city has been preparing for them and have very thick files on them. They were ready to go when they got the call from the young girl. I assume they had to wait for "cause" to enter their compound to rescue any minors.

My guess the interviews included questions about child labor and what 'employment" is going on in there to establish that welfare fraud is likely. Then they can pursue charges upon the entire community. Let's hope. This is not Utah where LE, Judges and Senators are in their hip pockets!

[juliekan]

More members removed

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_8823648?source=rss

[Pinetree]

Originally posted by flere [*]I have been listening/reading the explanations and gone on to research Mormonism accordingly, albeit not in-depth. I have to say I just don't get Mormonism from its core: "Jesus was a polygamist"?? "Men should be Gods"??
And from pictures in Walton's above link, to be forced to live around, let alone in anyway physically with these fuglies [/*]

These people broke off from the mainstream Mormon church....who outlawed polygamy. This sect isn't Mormon no matter what they call themselves. Should be called pedophiles and child abusers, IMO.

[texski]

saturday night listi
ning to the bbc news and they had the story about the texas compound. worldwide coverage. way to go.
keeping the spotlight on these vermin is the only way to stop them. they cannot stand the light of the world watching them.
hooray for texas and those local officials.
and the judge and all those who are helping now. we are all proud of you.