Posted on 04/20/2008 5:32:24 PM PDT by Chief Engineer
A Colorado Springs woman was arrested on charges of false reporting to authorities and is being investigated for her alleged involvement in the call that tipped authorities off to possible abuse at the Texas polygamist compound.
Police say they arrested 33-year-old Rozita Swinton at her home on Wednesday. The Texas Rangers were in Colorado Springs apparently as part of their investigation involving the compound in Texas.
They left and have not filed any charges on Swinton and the Colorado Springs Police spokesman said he could not discuss any aspects of the Texas case.
Our sister station KMGH in Denver found out that this is not the first time Swinton has been arrested on charges of making false reports to authorities. According to records the charge against Swinton was made in connection to calls received by police in February indicating she was 13 years old and trapped in a basement-- all a lie.
New story 4/18 Colorado Springs Gazette
“BOUNTIFUL, B.C. - B.C. Morman polygamist leader Winston Blackmore says the people of Bountiful are praying for the children in Texas being held in custody by U.S. authorities.
The spiritual leader of Bountiful called the Texas children family, but says he doesn’t know if any are from his commune, located near Creston in B.C.’s Kootenay region.”
“Allegations of sexual abuse in Bountiful haven’t just come from people who have left the community or outsiders tired of seeing very young girls with their babies and shocked by teen pregnancy rates that are at least seven times higher than elsewhere in the province.
Last year at the so-called polygamy summit his wives organized in Creston, Blackmore admitted, “I have married several very young girls in my life.”
He has more than 20 wives and 100-plus children.
Jane Blackmore — Winston’s ex-wife and the former midwife for all of Bountiful — says that the youngest girl she knows of was 14.
“There weren’t many 14-year-olds,” she said in an interview. “But there were lots who were married at 15.”
At a conference in Winnipeg in early 2005, another of Blackmore’s wives, Zelpha Chatwin, said Blackmore had married at least one girl who was 15.
/johnny/
Personally, I suspect the caller was either too scared to identify herself - or she's already dead. This group is already known to have killed one adult female escapee who tried to report on them.
My only question is why the various states they were in didn't intervene long before now. This cult has places in Texas and Arizona; I think they were kicked out of Colorado. Utah Mormons didn't want the bad publicity and have basically excluded them, and I'm not sure what the situation is in Canada.
Remember, these are the Mormons who think they were actually loyal to their founder's first vision, and they regard the other Mormons as heretics.
The Rangers wanted to know if the anonymous caller was the young girl whose outcry by phone on March 29, to a San Angelo crisis center triggered a massive raid two weeks ago on the breakaway Mormon sect's ranch outside Eldorado.
The recorded calls you reference did NOT include the call that triggered the raid. The woman made the recorded calls prior to the March 29th call.
Read your linked article.
They are acting in my name, and under the ageis of the power that I give them.
/johnny/
Agreed.
‘__7__
(_____)>!
There are recordings of the woman’s voice. I have no doubt the Rangers will play this for those that DID receive the calls and as I said, we should find out shortly.
If you don't like your government, fricking change it. It can't operate without you, and you are responsible for it, morally.
Back to our regularly scheduled freep-a-thon...
/johnny/
Was the original call that triggered the raid recorded? I seem to remember it was a 911 call. I would like this cleared up too, and almost wish it WAS Swinton who called...otherwise, where is Sarah? Is she even alive?
The Sarah calls were NOT recorded.
The shelter which took them uses written notes only.
Thanks, PM...we do not know what happened to her ;(
I'm trying to keep it clean bro, it should always be watched.
What IS that?
This is what I was referring to would be played to those at the center. It may or may not clear things up all depending on whether the women can identify the caller or not and will they or not. (I'm not implying anything.)
If it is the same caller, it will open up another can of worms. If it isn't, as you said, where is Sarah?
Which call came first, if there were two calls.
Audio of either call.
What set the Rangers off for Colorado, since Colorado outlawed prostituion in the late 1800s (I think)
Lots of facts are missing.
Lots of facts are available. The State actions are what I'm most interested in observing.
/johnny
Even if there wasn’t a raid, many of those children would be without their parents tonight. Warren Jeffs commanded his followers to send their children to the YFZ ranch. Canadian authorities said at least 15 are from Bountiful. I’m assuming mostly girls were sent. Of the 416 children, only a few dozen are boys.
I do care about the kids. But I trust "official" reports about 1.2 meters.
I'm tired, I can't throw very far...
/johnny/
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