Breeder cult's Texas size mistake
When a renegade Mormon sect was looking for a quiet place to live out its polygamous beliefs, it made a Texas-sized mistake when it picked this state to move to.There is much more.Texas responded by raising the age at which children can legally get married with parental consent, and law enforcement agencies immediately put the sect in its crosshairs.
The result was raids this month that left 463 minors in state hands or foster care. With judges saying they will hear abuse cases individually, the sect's practices are sure of thorough legal scrutiny.
"They made a big mistake when they came here," said Harvey Hilderbran, who represents this part of Texas in the state legislature. "We didn't invite those folks to Texas but by God we expect them to obey our law."
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"With action being taken in Arizona and Utah, it seems like they decided to branch out," said Benjamin Bistline, a historian who has written about the sect in Arizona. "They didn't realize they were making a mistake going to Texas."
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"There was suspicion, speculation and concern and we knew they were the most obedient followers of Warren Jeffs and people were alarmed," Hilderbran said. He sponsored a bill, which became law in 2005, raising the age at which children in the state could marry with parental consent to 16 from 14.
After the raid, Child Protective Services (CPS), the Texas department responsible for such matters, said it identified 20 minors and young adult women with children who had become pregnant between the ages of 13 and 16. The age of sexual consent in Texas is 17.
It also said it found evidence that boys may have been sexually abused.
Polygamy is illegal in the United States but men in the sect marry one woman legally and then have several "spiritual unions." In Texas, a number of young teenage girls were "spiritually married" to older men, Texas CPS said.
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One advantage Texas has over most previous attempts to prosecute the cult is that it does not need cooperating witnesses with respect to the underage girls. DNA test can prove paternity and other records can prove the age of the girls. This scientific evidence can make a case for statutory rape.
The primary evidence for the sexual abuse of the boys comes from a journal found on the property. It is alleged that older boys were the ones abusing younger boys. These cases are likely to require cooperating witnesses. That may be possible after a detox period for the victims. State officials have also said that they have seen evidence that 41 of the kids have had broken bones. This may be evidence of physical abuse.
One of the things that needs to be determined is whether there is a pattern to these injuries that would suggest systematic abuse. Again, it is likely that the state would need cooperating witnesses if they intend to prosecute for this type of abuse.
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