FLDS mother wants jury to decide custody

Published: Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2009 1:33 a.m. MST
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In therapy, the report said the girl expressed sadness at not being around her family. Attempts to find relatives to care for her have not worked out, CPS said, noting one did not believe the girl had been abused and "agrees with underage marriage and supports plural marriages."

The girl has weekly visits with her mother in San Antonio. Recently, more of her siblings were allowed to visit her. She also has weekly phone calls with her mother. CPS complained about letters being sent to the girl originating from a blog, which it said has encouraged people to "kidnap" the girl from her foster home.

CPS claims to have been unable to contact Frederick Merril Jessop, the leader of the YFZ Ranch. One of his attorneys refused to provide contact information beyond the address of the ranch, the report said.

Jessop was recently indicted by an Eldorado grand jury on a charge of performing a marriage ceremony prohibited by law, accused of performing the ceremony between Jeffs and the girl. Shocking photos showing the FLDS leader kissing the girl were released during the ongoing custody case involving hundreds of children from the FLDS Church's YFZ Ranch.

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Approximately 439 children were removed from the ranch in April when CPS caseworkers and law enforcement responded to a call from someone claiming to be a pregnant 16-year-old in an abusive, polygamous marriage to an older man. CPS alleged a pattern of abuse at the ranch with girls groomed to be child brides and boys growing up to be sexual perpetrators.

The children were returned to their families two months later when an Austin appeals court and the Texas Supreme Court ruled the state acted improperly, and that the children were not at immediate risk of abuse. All but 15 children have been dropped from court oversight as the custody case drags on.

The phone call that sparked the raid is believed to be a hoax.

A CPS report claims to have found evidence of a dozen young women involved in underage marriages. The FLDS Church fired back, calling the report "as false and fraudulent as the original hoax telephone call that triggered the raid" on the YFZ Ranch.

A dozen FLDS men, including Jeffs, have been indicted on charges ranging from sexual assault of a child and bigamy to failure to report child abuse and performing a marriage ceremony prohibited by law. Some of the men are due back in court on Jan. 12.

E-mail: bwinslow@desnews.com

Recent comments

I grew up knowing Warren Jeffs and his father Rulon. I can personally...

Moroni | Jan. 16, 2009 at 1:39 a.m.

If it were only 2 disgruntled women exposing what life was like in...

exiled | Jan. 13, 2009 at 11:23 p.m.

"Which lies are you referring to?"

Specifically, the refusal to be...

re:R | Jan. 12, 2009 at 1:51 p.m.

Image

Photo entered into court evidence shows FLDS leader Warren Jeffs and a girl whom authorities claim was 12 at the time they were married. The girl's face in the photo is blurred intentionally to protect her identity.

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