Texas might be violating their rights by confiscating the cell phones - they should take that up with their attorneys, but allow me to "monday-morning quarterback" for a moment. I would liked to have seen the prosecutor get a warrant to wiretap their phone calls for the express purpose to determine if witness tampering was taking place between the cult leaders and the women in custody. If not, let them have the phones and get off the tap. If so, sad as it sounds, witness tampering, especially if done over the phone in another state, would likely lead to more jail time than we'll see for other charges in this case.
Maybe they were doing exactly what you suggest.
Maybe they were ‘tapping’ the phones, maybe even with the women’s permission.
Maybe they started confiscating the phones, because they got what they wanted.
Maybe the women complaining are just wanting to go back ‘home’. so badly that they will say whatever it takes.
We just don’t know all the facts yet, and they are in ‘protective custody’.
Not under arrest, or pending arrest. They are the victims, and must be protected.