realitycheck | 9:48 a.m. June 4, 2008
looks like the first abuser, Raymond Jessop, has been identified. I wonder if he's made it to Canada or Mexico yet?

So now there are several mothers that aren't returning to the ranch. I was hoping there would be more (perhaps there will be), so the children could have a real future instead of spending their whole lives watering flowers. Big world out there. Be good if they had some choices in life.

Maybe the kids will now get more than an 8th grade education. Now that would be outstanding.
Home Sweet Texas | 9:54 a.m. June 4, 2008
Sounds like Warren Jeffs will be moving back to Texas after serving his time in Utah and Arizona.
VA gal | 9:56 a.m. June 4, 2008
This is what they should have done two months ago. Instead of coming in there knocking down doors they should have investigated and then dealt with the few cases of abuse that could be legitimate.

I am glad this girl is with her mom, I am glad she is being protected from anyone that would hurt her. If a person did hurt her I hope he gets justice handed to him.
Comments continue below
Anonymous | 9:59 a.m. June 4, 2008
Fantastic. Her father should be easy to keep away, since Utah has him locked up, and Arizona might want a piece of him after that, and who knows after that?

We keep hearing that there was "other evidence of abuse", but no explanation of what that might be. Is it the same type of evidence that kept adults in custody as minors? Is it that kind of evidence?

If there are specific cases of abuse, treat them on a case by case basis, as is being done for this girl. That is the correct approach.
zxcvbnm | 10:02 a.m. June 4, 2008

Way to go CPS.......the child has to keep away from Warren Jeffs. The guy is behind bars several hundred miles away for the next ten years at a minimum.
The other guy has 1700 acres to occupy his time.
So the stall lasted an extra couple of days and cost how much more money. Is the other guy even on the ranch or he "vacationing" in Mexico?
Pray for the children | 10:03 a.m. June 4, 2008
Save the Flds children. They need to be free from becoming sex slaves. I pray God will help the mothers so that they can help their children. I hope the authorities can stop all the sex abuse in the Flds cult. The Flds', false prophet, Warren Jeffs needs to stay behind bars for the rest of his natural life. He is an evil man and should never see the light of day or ever be given the chance to be around another young girl to abuse.
Janet | 10:15 a.m. June 4, 2008
I am 23, I have gone through high school and I have a GED. I chose not to go to college. Warren Jeffs has not abused anyone, he is Christ-like. Truth will prevail, and I want to be on the side of truth. God bless His Prophet!
AMS | 10:23 a.m. June 4, 2008
[A man named Raymond Jessop is also prohibited from having any contact with her. The order does not say what the relationship is between him and the girl.]

I think we can figure out the "relationship."

I'm glad the kids GENERALLY are being returned. But I'm not glad about this girl. If she has been sexually abused, it was very likely with her mothers knowledge. She didn't protect her daughter before. Will she now?
A question? | 10:28 a.m. June 4, 2008
If this child was offered up as a child bride aren't both her parents responsible?
transplant | 10:29 a.m. June 4, 2008
If CPS didn't do what they did in removing those kids the abused girl would never have been helped. I don't think any reasonable thinking person believes that she would have remained on the ranch during a house to house investigation for victims. No way. These kids now have an awareness of potential abuse growing up and more likely not choose to be a party to it. Texas has prevented an immearsurable amout of damage to this population. Also a lesson in change. You can do it. I'm hoping that the next issue tackled is that of child labor.
To Janet | 10:34 a.m. June 4, 2008
Didn't your "Christ-like" prophet tell you it was bad to use the internet?! Maybe you ought to go sew or make more babies or something.
hope | 10:35 a.m. June 4, 2008
I sincerely hope that the FLDS will come to their senses and renounce the evil leadership that jeopardized the FLDS children, as they pursued unrighteous dominion over the followers. Let�s hope this mother actually complies with the restraining order.

Sleuth | 10:38 a.m. June 4, 2008
Pray for the children:

Focus! This is not about religion or false prophets or Gods and spirits, etc. OK? Also try to stop trashing people's faith religion etc. Moreover, if you want your religion trashed like you are doing to the FLDS, then simply mention it here and I am sure many will oblige you. Just focus on the facts in evidence. Avoid the rumors. Avoid following your hysterical emotions and fears. Focus on the facts in evidence. OK?
Momof2 | 10:41 a.m. June 4, 2008
In my state, the child would not be going back to mom's custody if there was proof of abuse, and mom would be charged with failure to protect.
zxcvbnm | 10:44 a.m. June 4, 2008

Re transplant.

Yep....eliminate the child labor...no more kids helping on the farm, that should shut down half the farms in Texas. I guess we can hire all the illegals that are out of jobs in the housing industry.
To Janet | 10:44 a.m. June 4, 2008
Janet, you and I both know that not all of the people in your group are given equal education and status. You and I both know that Mr Jeff's has treated some people very poorly and that there is the higher status group and the lower class group in your church. You and I both know that Mr Jeff's engaged in sexual relationships with young girls and let other men do that with other girls. Janet, I know, guess you don't that Mr Jeffs said that he was not the prophet and that he was evil. A prophet would obey the laws of the land, he has broken at least two, plural marriage and marriage age. The wealth that is in your church comes from cheating the tax system and also being on government welfare. I would advise you to spend two years outside of your community and go to school, get a job, meet people that have different values and be your own strength. To really be strong in your values is proven when you can live in the real world and stay true to yourself.
Janet... | 10:48 a.m. June 4, 2008
Pray tell, unless you've been around someone 24/7 you can't claim with any certainty whether or not they have abused anyone. Why don't you talk to child brides (aka probably one of your half-sisters) or several of his nephews about whether or not he abused (raped/sodomized) anyone?

It's sad you continue to blindly follow a convicted felon who enjoys "reassigning" families (i.e. kidnapping the children from their fathers and forcing their mother to "marry" and have sex with another man, not of their choosing).
Anonymous | 10:49 a.m. June 4, 2008
to the writer who wrote to Janet. Janet has the right to worship as she pleases. She is an adult and your slanderous remarks to her are wholly unwarranted. She does not deserve your contempt.
Emma | 10:55 a.m. June 4, 2008
I'm sorry, but I do not agree with the fact that Warren Jeffs is Christ-like. I think he is a very sad man in prison, who, has came to the conclusion...HE ADMITTED IT...He is not the prophet!. He declares he is an evil man. Which I'm not so sure he really is an evil sicko, he was a brainwashed little boy at one time, just like the other children. I think Warren Jeffs is a victim, falling into his birthright place to be able to be in the position to do these things. I do not believe, until recently, when he denounced himself as prophet, that he could see what he had done was really bad. I think this was the cycle of abuse that CPS was trying to defeat, they just picked a cruel, inhumane way to do it. This child, and the other few girls should have been treated as individuals. The sooner the FLDS wake up and see that their so called prophet is in PRISON, the sooner all the children will be safe from harm. The mother probably did not protect her daughter from this man Raymond, because she herself is brainwashed.
Youth | 10:57 a.m. June 4, 2008
To Janet
You are confused. Warren Jeffs is a false prophet. No woman should ever be forced to marry a old man. It's better to marry and find a young man of ones own age and choice. Much more fulfilling.
Helped against her will | 11:09 a.m. June 4, 2008
�If CPS didn't do what they did in removing those kids the abused girl would never have been helped.�transplant�

-------------

Apparently, the girl is being �helped� against her will. From the NY Times: �Willie Jessop, a spokesman for the F.L.D.S. group, said that to his knowledge there was no credible evidence that accusations of sexual abuse relating to the child in the court order were true. He said the girl�s lawyer was pursuing �an agenda,� and that the girl�s mother had tried to find other counsel.�
MadcapMagician | 11:11 a.m. June 4, 2008
while i do not agree with nor support the flds lifestyle, the actions of that state of texas have me greatly concerned as to the lengths the government will go to chase down so called "wrondoers". these actions bring up the specter of the government breaking down your doors because of unsubstantiated accusations, and inuendo. It also brings up the terrifying thought of being persecuted for your faith with no evidence of any criminal activity. The state of texas should have only taken thoes children that were proven to have been abused or molested. The state of texas is in the wrong here and should be held accountable for violationg the 4th. amendment of the constitution
transplant | 11:15 a.m. June 4, 2008
Helping, child labor and illegal child labor are all different things. If farms or ranches in any state are abusing child labor laws it needs to stop. And yes the cost of adult laborers have to be added to the cost of the consumer goods. Children are not farm equipment.
Misled | 11:18 a.m. June 4, 2008
Janet has a right to believe as she wishes but its also right to let her know that Warren Jeffs is not a prophet but a child sex abuser. That is why he is in prison. She has the right to know that the wool has been pulled over her eyes on this man that they call a prophet-He is NO prophet!
No prophets in prison? | 11:22 a.m. June 4, 2008
Emma: The sooner the FLDS wake up and see that their so called prophet is in PRISON, the sooner all the children will be safe from harm.

Many Christian saints were imprisoned. Those here castigating the victims of CPS arrogance are not Christians. Their sense of right and wrong seems to come not from any holy teachings, but from watching too much Law & Order, watching too much creative getting around civil liberties to convict people even if they�re innocent.
To...Janet | 11:29 a.m. June 4, 2008
To have gone through high school....as you stated.....why did you have to get your GED then?...doesnt sound like to me your on the side of the truth. As far as you believing in what you call a prophet...well....that is your right...just like its my right to say..Jeffs is a phony wannabe prophet who uses his self appointed title to justify his abuse and molestation of young children. If you believe God speaks to Warren Jeffs telling Jeffs to do these unspeakable acts...then we sure dont worship the same God.
re: Janet | 11:30 a.m. June 4, 2008
Wake up! You have a high school educated brain, don�t you? People don�t need to �FOLLOW� anyone else!

Re: Helped against her will? | 11:39 a.m. June 4, 2008
"Willie Jessop, a spokesman for the F.L.D.S. group, said that to his knowledge there was no credible evidence that accusations of sexual abuse relating to the child in the court order were true."

What a shock that Willie doesn't believe that Warren could be guilty of child-abuse.

CPS may have over-stepped their authority in removing all of the children, but the individual cases of FLDS men who have been abusing young girls through forced underage marriages are starting to come out.

It wouldn't surprise most people if Willie's name is near the top of that list.
Dreamcatcher | 11:41 a.m. June 4, 2008
Obviously not all brides of the FLDS are children nor are they all married to men old enough to be their fathers or grandfathers. Maybe some of the children receive adequate educations but by observing video clips of some of the wives, it was obvious that not all of them are well educated. I hope these people will not continue to blindly follow their "Prophet", Warren Jeffs but will make educated judgments. Look at the fruits of his labors. It's true that you don't know what someone does if you aren't with them 24/7 but that doesn't mean that Warren is above reproach. I personally believe that he sexually abused his three nephews. They were there, do we just discount what they said? One of them even committed suicide because of the abuse. What reason would Brent Jeffs have for accusing Uncle Warren of such a terrible thing? He is not trying to promote a book--he hasn't written one. It wouldn't buoy up his family, either. I think he is courageous for coming forward. If even one of the things Jeffs is being accused of is true, condemnation will come upon him, if not now, then in the hereafter.
FLDS phonies | 11:44 a.m. June 4, 2008
I think Janet is a phony . Shes probably somebody trying to create some noise on this blog. I doubt if she were really a real person and FLDS, that she would actually have access to a computer and much less the internet.
Mary | 11:45 a.m. June 4, 2008
Time will tell, Warren Jeffs is the PROPHET!!!!!!!!No abuse has been proven. I am with Janet, God bless his Prophet!!!!!I do not live in Texas but am a multiple wife also. We all live very sweetly together. There is no arguing withour group, we all LOVE and HELP one another. You have no right to tell us what religion, such as FLDS, that we must worship. we have the rite to worship as we please. We have found our lifestyles to be very happy. God bless his prophet!!!!!
Anonymous | 11:52 a.m. June 4, 2008
Warren Jeffs is the only true prophet on the earth. Praise the man!
John Lambert | 12:00 p.m. June 4, 2008
Since Jeffs is in jail why does the judge even have to specify no contact with him? Anyway, has anyone demonstrated that this girl ever even met Mr. Jeffs. With his insanely high number of wives and children and his being on the run for a few years, I would not be surprised if he had many children who he has never met.
FLDS MEN LIARS | 12:03 p.m. June 4, 2008
The FLDS people above are all FLDS men POSING AS WOMEN. These sickos always hide behind the skirts of women. Nothing new with FLDS men. Nothing but degenerates. AND WARREN JEFFS IS NO PROPHET! You people follow the devil.
Bruce | 12:05 p.m. June 4, 2008
One thing that strikes me as strange about the anti-FLDS crowd is their assumption that legal = right and illegal = wrong.
The great spiritual leaders throughout history have been charged, and many convicted, of breaking existing civil laws in order to live higher ones.
I would also be interested to know where people get the idea that there is a certain type of person that God calls to be a "prophet".
A little research on prophets shows a very diverse bunch of folks, and indicate that God really doesn't ask anyone else's opinion on who he puts in that position.
John Lambert | 12:14 p.m. June 4, 2008
Since the girl is neither pregnant nor a mother I am not sure how people are so sure that Raymond Jessop is an abuser. Just because some court somewhere orders no contact does not mean that someone is an abuser. They are still innocent until proven guilty.
Beyond this, just because one man at the compound was an abuser does not give you the right to assume all the men were abusers.
Janet please read | 12:22 p.m. June 4, 2008
There is nothing Christlike about Warren Jeffs' teachings concerning the black race. Joseph Smith himself often spoke kindly of black people, stated that they were heirs of salvation, and even after they were restricted from the priesthood (1849) they were still allowed to join the church. They were never considered to be Satan's tool for bringing evil into the world, and many other early, pre-manifesto Mormon leaders also said things about black people that were kind and compationate even by our modern standards, not just the standards of their day. Warren Jeff's remarks about black people were cruel, unkind, untrue, and unjust, and there is no justification for teaching such things, especially not to children.
jt | 12:25 p.m. June 4, 2008
the FLDS is just another place for perverts to hide. what normal man would have sex with a child under 16? only a pervert. they should be treated the same as anyone else who has forced sex upon a child. prison........
avengeance | 12:31 p.m. June 4, 2008
Quite amazing, isn't it, that a civil government agency can not only twist arms and get false confessions out of people for "abuse" under pain of losing their children, but they can now place citizens under house arrest without due process of law?

Do you people see where this is going? Expanding civil agencies by giving them police powers is in the communist manifesto. Do you really think this is limited to this "cult"? They just made a convenient excuse, something to make the jagged pill of losing your rights easier to swallow (yea, saving the babies tends to do that).
Janet: please know, not everyone on the "outside" is of the outside. Just because some of us live more in the world does not mean we live more of it.
Pharisee | 12:33 p.m. June 4, 2008
It is nice to the Pharisees are all on here today. God bless you devils.
Horst | 12:54 p.m. June 4, 2008
To: Janet please read
"Warren Jeff's remarks about black people were cruel, unkind, untrue, and unjust..."

Maybe he was only talking about Rosita Swinton.
To Janet | 1:15 p.m. June 4, 2008
Wake up and face reality that Warren Jeffs is a child abuser, not a prophet.

As a 23-year-old woman with unrestricted internet access, you should look up Warren Jeffs' videotaped confession in which he said:

"I am not the prophet. I never was the prophet, and I have been deceived by the powers of evil."

also look up statements he made in phone conversations several days earlier where he said

"that he lost his priesthood 31 years ago after being "immoral" with a sister and daughter."

Words from Jeffs' own lips.
Davidson | 1:42 p.m. June 4, 2008
Their homes invaded by armed men
Their house of worship violated and ransacked
Detained without cause
Carted away by an antagonistic religius group
Days of torment in the concentration camp
Seeing their mothers humilated and abused
Hours on end of interrogation
The violation of the "physical exams"
Their fellow detainees spirited away in the middle of the night
Finally being wrenched from the arms of their sobbing mothers
Finding themselves suddenly alone with their tormentors
Chased down and caught by stone-faced CPS matrons
Shipped off as far away from their mothers as the geography of Texas allowed
Weeks and weeks of waiting in misery
Now returned to homes and schools that can be invaded at any hour of the day by the very people who are responsible for their horror.

What will they take from this experience as they grow into adulthood?

That this is the justice of the outside world?

The justice that put Warren Jeffs into prison?

Could you expect them to see it any other way?

What have you done, Texas?
Charla | 1:47 p.m. June 4, 2008
I was always been taught that you could tell a truthful leader of a church by their actions and examples of moral living and their faith in God. They obey the laws of the land being local, state and government. They don't hide and take money from their followers for months. A true Prophet would never make rules to fit their lifestyle and those of whom he could control. The rules and laws should be the same for all members not a few.

I am so very glad the children are back with their mothers. I hope they heal quickly and smiles return to their faces. Every child need's their mother to hug and kiss them when they wake up and when they go to bed. They need to be safe. The children should of stayed home and they should have taken the men out in buses.
To FLDS | 1:56 p.m. June 4, 2008
Cast off all evil men who lie, claiming they speak for God, but would lead your souls to the gallows. Save yourselves and your families from the dark side of ignorance. May the peace and enlightenment of the Lord find you.
Gregory | 2:01 p.m. June 4, 2008
To Janet | 1:15 p.m. June 4, 2008
"look up Warren Jeffs' videotaped confession"

Not a confession, but a confidential conversation between Jeffs and his family.

How is it that a personal conversation between Jeffs and his family is available on the internet?

What Jane believes, or what Jeffs has done, is no concern of yours. What should concern you and every other citizen who believe he/she lives in a free country is this:

THE RELEASE BY A SITTING JUDGE OF THE PERSONAL, CONFIDENTIAL COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN A DEFENDANT IN HIS COURTROOM AND HIS FAMILY MEMBERS.

It may be true that Jeffs sexually abused his daughter and sister, but this has not been proven. On the other hand, this judge has abused every man, woman and child in America, and this has been proven.
To Davidson | 2:03 p.m. June 4, 2008
"What will they take from this experience as they grow into adulthood?"

That there are good and bad people both inside and outside the YFZ compound and, perhaps, a little perspective that not everything they've been told about the outside world is true.

Some of the children and mothers may have even discovered that they have a right to make choices regarding their own futures; that they don't have to live the rest of their lives dominated by men who use them to fulfill their own desires and fantasies.
SLC gal | 2:09 p.m. June 4, 2008
Wait, I thought polygomists didn't have access to computers. Guess I was wrong since there's a few Jeffs supporters here.
to John Lambert | 2:10 p.m. June 4, 2008
Other reports from the the girl's Guardain ad Litem said that the girl has a baby (as a result from underage rape/forced marriage) and another woman is claiming that baby as her own child. It will be a good day when the DNA results can clear up the sick, twisted mess these people are involved in.
Visitor | 2:09 p.m. June 4, 2008
So much for the theory that the FLDS were isolated from the real world.

From News8Austin Texas:

"We had read that they had a fear of technology, so we took down our computer lab, and the first night one of the mothers pulled out her iPod and asked where she could dock it," VanOsselar said. "It surprised us because we didn't expect them to be so technology savvy," she said.

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