Shurtleff agreed that Texas had gone too far and was critical of Texas' original theory that a little girl born in a polygamous household was at risk of growing up to become a child bride.

"Clearly that was never going to fly as far as I was concerned, and that's not the standard we use in Utah," he said.

But Shurtleff defended Texas' approach in the raid, saying the isolated nature of the compound, the criminal convictions of its members (including Jeffs) made it impossible for child welfare workers to just knock on the door.

"Ultimately, the raid will prove harmful and it has proved harmful to our efforts in Utah as law enforcement officials to actually investigate and prosecute these crimes against children," he said, adding: "If they fear law enforcement more than they fear the person abusing them, they won't get help."

Meanwhile, Texas child welfare authorities continue to navigate their way through the largest custody case in U.S. history. To date, 296 people have been dropped from court oversight. The Deseret News' tally includes 26 FLDS women that Child Protective Services initially believed to be minors but later acknowledged were really adults.

The reasons to "nonsuit" have varied, from no evidence of abuse to families taking steps to protect their children from abuse. Only one child, a 14-year-old girl believed to have been married at age 12 to Jeffs, has been returned to foster care.

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E-mail: bwinslow@desnews.com