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Officials Tell How Sect in West Texas Was Raided
The New York Times ^ | April 11, 2008 | GRETEL C. KOVACH and KIRK JOHNSON

Posted on 04/10/2008 10:11:46 PM PDT by Gondring

SAN ANGELO, Tex. — For years, the veiled world behind the doors of a fundamentalist Mormon polygamist temple tantalized local imaginations in the Hill Country south of here.

On Thursday, a Texas ranger described in detail what occurred last week when law enforcement officers, responding to a call for help from a 16-year-old who said she was being sexually abused in the compound, sought entry.

[...]

“They opted not to do that because they would be aiding or assisting us in the desecration of their worship place,” Captain Caver said.

[...]

Finally, a SWAT team was called to apply brute force. As the team broke down the doors, about 57 men from the church stood in a circle around the building to bear witness, Captain Caver said.

The sect members sank to their knees in prayer, some sobbing, and one young man rushed to intervene. He was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of interfering with a public servant but has been released on bond.

[...]

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: flds; lds; polygamy; sect; texas
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Interesting to note that we show great restraint from raiding mosques, but this is evidence that places of worship will be raided if there's a warrant issued.
1 posted on 04/10/2008 10:11:47 PM PDT by Gondring
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To: Gondring

The man the warrant was seeking wasn’t even IN the state.


2 posted on 04/10/2008 10:17:58 PM PDT by weegee (March 18th, 2008 Obama~"I did NOT listen to the sermons of that man, Jeremiah Wright...")
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To: Gondring

And it is for the chil’run. Never mind that our public schools are overrun with predatory teachers, teaching assistants, and principals.


3 posted on 04/10/2008 10:18:50 PM PDT by weegee (March 18th, 2008 Obama~"I did NOT listen to the sermons of that man, Jeremiah Wright...")
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To: Gondring

I heard the cops had an informant on the inside for years. If this is so, why did they let the child sex go on for all that time?


4 posted on 04/10/2008 10:19:14 PM PDT by swampdweller
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To: swampdweller

Any conformation about this informant?


5 posted on 04/10/2008 10:22:04 PM PDT by doc1019 (God is in control ... not Global Warming.)
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To: doc1019

All I know is I heard just a blip about it on Fox News and nothing more. Just thought maybe someone out here knew something more about it. If it’s true, it’s kinda strange. I want the facts before I run with any statements.


6 posted on 04/10/2008 10:25:06 PM PDT by swampdweller
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To: weegee

Evidently, the 16-year-old they say reported abuse has not been found, either.


7 posted on 04/10/2008 10:25:22 PM PDT by Gondring (I'll give up my right to die when hell freezes over my dead body!)
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To: Gondring
The men called the YFZ Ranch Yearning For Zion.

The women called it Yearning For Zoloft.

8 posted on 04/10/2008 10:31:25 PM PDT by JRochelle
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To: Gondring
places of worship will be raided if there's a warrant issued.

as will any other place in the United States that meets the criteria and probable cause a warrant must meet before they are issued

9 posted on 04/10/2008 10:31:52 PM PDT by Revelation 911
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To: Gondring

“Evidently, the 16-year-old they say reported abuse has not been found, either.”

Or maybe they aren’t blabbing everything they learn blow by blow, day by day.

Maybe they are trying to assemble a meaningful case against many more individuals and perhaps the instutution itself, in order to shut down their illegal practice of child abuse, (sexual) slavery, etc.

Behaving as they do, hiding it behind a “religion” doesn’t strike me as “religious freedom.”


10 posted on 04/10/2008 10:31:52 PM PDT by truth_seeker
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To: Revelation 911
as will any other place in the United States that meets the criteria and probable cause a warrant must meet before they are issued

...and I'm hoping (and betting) that they have an airtight justification in this case, else they would get a lot of heat.

11 posted on 04/10/2008 10:35:34 PM PDT by Gondring (I'll give up my right to die when hell freezes over my dead body!)
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To: truth_seeker
Behaving as they do, hiding it behind a “religion” doesn’t strike me as “religious freedom.”

I was trying to formulate a way to say what you did so perfectly in the above quote. Very well said.

12 posted on 04/10/2008 10:36:56 PM PDT by swampdweller
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To: truth_seeker
Or maybe they aren’t blabbing everything they learn blow by blow, day by day.

That's why I said "evidently"... never can we be sure of the complete and true story when it comes to a developing law-enforcement issue.

It's very likely the girl was caught up in the net, but just isn't outing herself...and I don't think that it's wise to prematurely reveal her even if they know who she is.

OTOH, because of the nature of law enforcement, and the potential for abuse of the power with it, it's essential for the citizenry to keep on top of things and insist on accountability after the fact.

For example, the following raises some questions that we can't overlook after this all shakes out...

The man originally named in the arrest warrant as suspected of sexually abusing the girl immediately reported to his probation officer in Mohave County, Ariz., last Friday and said he had never met the girl and had not been in Texas in more than 30 years.

Until the authorities find the girl, they will not be able to determine whether she was referring to a different man who may live at the Texas ranch, Captain Caver said.

13 posted on 04/10/2008 10:42:46 PM PDT by Gondring (I'll give up my right to die when hell freezes over my dead body!)
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To: swampdweller; truth_seeker
I was trying to formulate a way to say what you did so perfectly in the above quote. Very well said.

Let me fix it up a bit, though...

Behaving as they allegedly did, hiding it behind a “religion,” doesn’t strike me as “religious freedom.”

14 posted on 04/10/2008 10:44:38 PM PDT by Gondring (I'll give up my right to die when hell freezes over my dead body!)
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To: Gondring

So now we hear they had an inside guy for years. We can’t find the 16 year old complainant. The man the warrant was for wasn’t at the farm.

It is frustrating that the things could be going on at the farm that were. It is frustrating that the authorities couldn’t get the warrants right. It’s just strange that the 16 year old hasn’t been found and that the man who was supposed to be her husband wasn’t even there at the time of the raids.

I am glad the young girls seem to have been rescued, and I hope like hell the warrants hold up under scrutiny. If this case is bungled, it would be a very bad thing.

If this type of activity is taking place at other locations in and out of Texas, I hope they are all taken down ASAP.

I’ll be honest, I’m not a big fan of attacking folks if they marry more than one as adults, but this 12 to 13 year old an up, as long as it is under age, has got to stop.

Someone the other days stated that it was slavery, and I objected. I think I was wrong. These women are being treated as property, and it is slavery.

Any guy participating in illegal activity surrounding these practices should be placed behind bars for life IMO.


15 posted on 04/10/2008 10:44:38 PM PDT by DoughtyOne (McCain is rock solid on SCOTUS judicial appointments. He voted for Ginsberg, Kennedy and Souter.)
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To: swampdweller
I heard the cops had an informant on the inside for years. If this is so, why did they let the child sex go on for all that time?

Perhaps not enough to get a warrant.

16 posted on 04/10/2008 10:45:25 PM PDT by Gondring (I'll give up my right to die when hell freezes over my dead body!)
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To: Gondring

bump


17 posted on 04/10/2008 10:50:00 PM PDT by 1COUNTER-MORTER-68 (THROWING ANOTHER BULLET-RIDDLED TV IN THE PILE OUT BACK~~~~~)
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To: Gondring
When I think of informant I think of one of them on the inside. We get what they decide to share with us.
18 posted on 04/10/2008 10:59:22 PM PDT by CindyDawg
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To: Gondring

Um... Texas has raided mosques, synagogues, Catholic churches, and Buddhist temples in the last 5 years.

If there’s a warrant for it, it *will* be raided. PolCorr is NOT alive and well in Texas.


19 posted on 04/10/2008 11:08:05 PM PDT by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.)
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To: swampdweller

The “informant on the inside” was a former member and was not on the inside, to my understanding. Thus is was difficult to justify a raid, based on one man’s testimony and no complaints from any victims, particularly when the man was outside and couldn’t go in wearing a wire or whatever.


20 posted on 04/10/2008 11:13:59 PM PDT by Marie2 (I used to be disgusted. . .now I try to be amused.)
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