'I didn't bring this on FLDS,' sheriff says

You've got to understand we're acting under a search warrant and time is essential and we're acting upon a call. None of those things could be verified at that particular moment in time. A dialogue was made between myself and this gentleman that proclaimed to be Dale Evans Barlow. That still left in question, the victim Sarah. As far as we were concerned she was still in jeopardy, was still on the property and still in need of intervention.

What people need to understand is, even though we were out there, even for the fact that we were on the property and still looking for the victim — the victim was still calling in on crisis hotlines not only in Texas but other locations. Even when women and children were removed from the property and they went to the shelters, this person who allegedly was the victim was still calling and giving descriptions of the location, 'It just rained,' 'They have these certain toys issued to the kids,' which was very accurate and credible information.

So we still had to go forward like there was a victim. Child Protective Services, Texas Rangers, we were all still looking for a victim because there was an ongoing outcry. Even to one of my officers.

Deseret News: Do you believe the call was a hoax?

Doran: Hard to say. We uncovered a Sarah Barlow that matched that description, and based on their fear of talking to law enforcement, who's to say? I don't have the proof and evidence in front of me to say that she does not exist. I do know there's a hoax caller and that is being investigated by law enforcement. When that investigation is complete and that person is found to be at fault, there will be vigorous charges against her in the state of Texas.

At the same time, when we were told there was no Sarah Barlow out there with that name, we uncovered several and one closely resembling that description. I really don't have a good answer for that. I guess you could say it's still under investigation.

Deseret News: Do you believe that crimes were being committed out there? Before this started?

Doran: We know polygamy's going on. It's just uncovering the evidence of that. No, I had no knowledge of any particular crimes going on.

All I know is in the four years of my knowledge of this group, the four years of contacts I have developed, both in the law enforcement field and outside the law enforcement field, we do know there's evidence of underage marriage within this group. We know it's a problem within the group. It's something we were aware of when they moved down here and learned about the group. Something we proclaimed to them, up to giving them a Texas penal code and pointing out, 'This will not be tolerated in Texas.'