Four more FLDS 'disputed minors' declared adults

During today's hearings, there was more confusion over names, birthdates and identities of children.

Attorney Deborah Keenun appeared in court for a hearing involving a baby — alongside the parents and attorneys for three other children with the same name. It happened again in another courtroom.

"I had parents who drove in from San Antonio," she said.

There was more confusion here as well about a case involving people that many believe do not even exist.

Texas Child Protective Services attorneys have now dismissed the custody action involving a child alleged to belong to Sarah Jessop and Dale Evans Barlow.

"To our knowledge, we don't have that baby in custody," said Texas CPS spokeswoman Marleigh Meisner.

"Sarah" is the name of the girl who called in to a family crisis shelter here, claiming she was 16, pregnant and in an abusive, polygamous marriage to a man named Dale Evans Barlow. That call prompted the raid on the YFZ Ranch and the removal of all of the Fundamentalist LDS children.

Authorities continue to investigate if the call was a hoax; a Colorado woman has been named as a "person of interest" in the investigation and was arrested on similar charges. A warrant for Barlow, who lives in Arizona, has been dropped.

A custody action involving "Sarah" herself has yet to hit court, but it will likely result in a dismissal.

"To our knowledge, we can't identify that we have her," Meisner said Tuesday.

Interestingly enough, ex-FLDS members have appeared in court to offer custody solutions. Arthur L. Barlow appeared in court alongside his estranged wife, Esther, to plead for the children to be returned.

Barlow said he was excommunicated from the FLDS Church four years ago, but his wives remained. He learned that his children were in Texas custody when a brother-in-law called him, asking if he could help.

He hasn't seen Esther, or the five children he had with her, since then. He recently visited his 6-year-old daughter, whom he said didn't recognize him at first.

"I chose to stay away and let them have a life," he said Tuesday.

Barlow said he adamantly disagreed with the allegations of abuse on the YFZ Ranch, even though he has never been there himself.

"How does this involve me?" he asked CPS caseworker Ashley Kennedy.

"Your children were on the ranch. We found reason to believe there was a pervasive pattern of sex abuse. Your children were at risk," she replied.

"You have no proof I'm guilty of those. If I'm not guilty, why can't I have my children?"