Three members of a Mormon splinter group whose polygamist compound was raided earlier this year have surrendered to authorities in Texas. FLDS leader Frederick Jessop and two others were previously indicted by a Schleicher County grand jury on charges ranging from sexual assault of a child to third-degree felony bigamy. After being booked the three men were released on bail, bringing the number of men charged with participating in underage unions to twelve. "Twelve" is also the age of the only child from Yearning For Zion Ranch still residing in foster care. From the Houston Chronicle: Willie Jessop, a spokesman for the group, on Monday called the state's case baseless and said it was concocted to justify its failed child custody case. In April, acting on a tip, Texas Child Protective Services seized more than 400 children at the ranch, alleging that the girls were being sexually abused or at risk of being sexually abused and that the boys were being groomed to perpetuate the practice of underage marriage. Two months later, the Texas Supreme Court ruled that the state overreached and ordered the children returned to their parents... Child welfare authorities are expected back in a San Angelo family courtroom today to seek access to a 5-month-old baby they believe was born to an underage mother wedded to an adult man.
I've never understood why these children were returned to a group of religious fundies who believe that it's perfectly all right to force underage girls to marry old men. I remember when the story first broke there was a lot of sympathetic press attention given to the mothers of the rescued children (coverage in which their menfolk were notably absent). According to the courts, Texas Child Protective Services didn't present enough evidence that the children were being abused. But how much is enough?
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