Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

July 25, 2008 7:29:15 AM CDT

Learn about Newser Points »

« Back to the grid | Next story »

Texas Pulls 52 Kids From Sect Compound

Posted Apr 4, 08 7:20 PM CDT in Crime & Courts,  US 

(Newser) – Texas authorities pulled 52 kids from the compound of a polygamous sect today after a girl said she was raped there, the Houston Chronicle reports. Eighteen of the children were bussed out by court order, based on claims of abuse or neglect, and put into temporary custody. State troopers are also seeking a suspect at the compound, which was founded by jailed polygamist Warren Jeffs.

"The actions we've taken today have nothing to do with religion or lifestyle," said a child welfare spokesman. "The pure interest is in protecting children from abuse and neglect." Jeffs was convicted last year in Utah of being an accomplice to raping a teenager, and is now in an Arizona jail awaiting trial for incest and other charges.

Sources Houston Chronicle, Associated Press, Eldorado Success, CNN

0 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon

Related Newser Stories

  • Jeffs, Sect Members Face Sex Charges

    Jul 22, 08 9:27 PM CDT
    Jeffs, Sect Members Face Sex Charges Polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs and four members of the Texas ranch raided by authorities in April now face charges of sexually abusing girls under the age of 17, the Houston Chronicle reports. One of those indicted also is charged with bigamy, and a sixth person is accused of failure to report child abuse. A Texas grand jury handed down the charges today after two days of considering the state’s evidence. More »

  • Jeffs Photos Used to Bolster Custody Case

    May 29, 08 7:41 AM CDT
    Jeffs Photos Used to Bolster Custody Case It was an obvious stunt by Texas child services: entering photos of Warren Jeffs kissing two "child brides" in a custody hearing for a newborn. Reeling from an appeals court ruling that they failed to show that 450 children were at risk, officials wanted to hype the "pervasive" abuse at Yearning for Zion. No surprise. The surprise, writes Rebecca Walsh in the Salt Lake Tribune, was that the young parents whose newborn was at issue actually helped the state's case. More »

  • Texas Raid Rocks Other Polygamists

    May 8, 08 10:40 AM CDT
    Texas Raid Rocks Other Polygamists The raid on the Texas compound of a polygamist sect has similar communities worried, reports the New York Times. Groups of polygamists belonging to the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints live along the Utah-Arizona border and many fear that the crackdown on their Texas brethren means they could be next as the federal government leans on states to get tough on illegal practices. More »

  • Polygamy Hubby Tallies 21 Wives

    May 6, 08 6:18 AM CDT
    Polygamy Hubby Tallies 21 Wives A husband in the Texas polygamist ranch where children were seized to protect them from suspected child abuse has 36 kids and 21 wives—with the youngest 43 years his junior, reports CNN. The information on the 67-year-old member—whose youngest child is 6 months old—is included on a "bishop's list" of families kept by the sect. The "bishop" is believed to be leader Warren Jeffs, serving time as an accomplice to child rape. More »

  • Many Kids From Sect Had Broken Bones

    Apr 30, 08 6:53 PM CDT
    Many Kids From Sect Had Broken Bones Of 463 children seized from a Texas polygamist compound, 41 show evidence of broken bones at a young age, the Dallas Morning News reports. "Several of these fractures have been found in very young children," said the head of Child Protective Services, which also said it's looking into possible sexual abuse of sect boys. More »

The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints compound under construction near Eldorado, Texas.   (AP Photo/Donna McWilliam, File)
Officers stand at the entrance to the El Dorado Civic Center Friday, April 4, 2008.   (AP Photo/Harry Cabluck)
Officials escort two buses Friday April 4, 2008 from the retreat built by the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, located near El Dorado, Texas.   (AP Photo/Harry Cabluck)
Warren Jeffs is led by guards into a courtroom in Las Vegas in this Aug. 31, 2006 file photo.   (AP Photo/Laura Rauch)
Warren Jeffs.   (AP Photo/Douglas C. Pizac, File)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Our editors also recommend:

Threads (1 of 3)

Tags

Texas  • rape  • Utah  • polygamy  • child abuse  • Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints  • Arizona  • Warren Jeffs  • fundamentalism


Loading...

Loading...

Today's Most Popular


Other US Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Newser gives you more news in less time. We search for the best and most important stories all over the web, read them for you, and deliver concise and sharp summaries—along with links to the full text. Newser provides a way to stay on top of an ever-expanding horizon of news and opinion—politics, sports, business, trends, technology, personalities, crimes, and controversies. Newser keeps you not just better informed, but, with our signature graphic interface and smart condensed format, more enjoyably informed.

Learn more »