Texas fires back with photos in FLDS case

SAN ANGELO, Texas — Shocking photographs of Fundamentalist LDS Church leader Warren Jeffs kissing someone that Texas Child Protective Services lawyers alleged is a 12-year-old "wife" have become evidence in a custody battle over a 1-week-old baby.

The photographs, dated July 2006, were entered into evidence Friday during a hearing involving the custody of Richard Joseph Jessop, born last week to Louisa Bradshaw (Jessop) and her husband, Dan Jessop. The state is seeking custody of the baby.

Texas Child Protective Services lawyers would not say where they obtained the photographs but entered them into evidence in the case to prove their point about the FLDS culture being abusive, with girls growing up to be child brides and boys being primed to become sexual predators.

"Yes, it's shocking," Dan Jessop told reporters outside of court. "You see far worse, immoral, disgusting, gross things than a girl kissing a man in the streets of your own community. And you and I don't know if the state of Texas fabricated that."

Lawyers for the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services refused to comment on the photos as they raced out of the courthouse. A spokeswoman for the agency also declined comment late Friday night.

It appears the state is firing back after an appellate court ruling Thursday that ordered some children from the YFZ Ranch to be returned to their mothers immediately, citing a lack of evidence that there was an immediate danger.

The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services asked the Texas Supreme Court for an emergency stay and appealed the decision. It came the same day child welfare authorities agreed to reunite 12 children with their parents in San Antonio, until the high court issues its ruling.

The hearing for Dan and Louisa Jessop will resume on Tuesday morning. It is unclear if the massive status hearings for the parents of the 450-plus children will continue Tuesday.

During grueling questioning on the witness stand Friday, Louisa Bradshaw appeared evasive, answering "I don't know" to inquiries about where she has lived, how she came to be at the YFZ Ranch and who lives in the home with her. Her testimony revealed she lived most recently with her husband in a home with YFZ Ranch boss Merrill Jessop, Dan's father.

Bradshaw struggled to name anyone else who lived in the home, aside from her own children and one of Merrill Jessop's wives, Barbara.

"Is it a concern to you that you don't know the people in the house?" CPS attorney Ellen Griffith asked her.

"No," Bradshaw replied.

"How do you know they are safe to be around?"

"Because they are sweet."