Hilderbran said Texas had enough authority under the criminal laws already on the books for statutory rape and sexual assault of minors to justify its raid and believes those provisions "really boxes them in."

He stands by his state's decision and said FLDS members should have realized that Texas doesn't have the cultural history of abiding by polygamy that other states — such as Utah — did back in the 1800s.

"We've never had anything like this," he said. "There's been some low-profile polygamists — but not really organized."

When the FLDS moved in, it raised eyebrows and caused local concern, he said.

"I think they were fleeing the heat of what was happening in Arizona and Utah," Hilderbran said, referring to criminal investigations into FLDS prophet Warren Jeffs. Jeffs was recently convicted in Utah of rape as an accomplice for arranging an underage union between a teenage girl and her cousin.

"They should have reviewed our history. ... I am surprised they didn't check it out here. We're tougher on crime and a little no-nonsense."

Although the raid's methods, extent and seizure of more than 400 children have raised controversy nationwide, the state's child protective services agency, he said, will be proven right in the long run.

"The message from Texas is that we're not going to allow older men to sexually assault or commit rape of minors or marry minors here... I think our law enforcement and our agencies are doing right."

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E-mail: amyjoi@desnews.com