Evidence of sex rites found inside FLDS temple
 
Reported by: Brent Hunsaker
ABC 4 News
YFZ Ranch
 
YFZ Ranch

ELDORADO, Texas (ABC 4 News) - The siege ended just one day short of a week. Texas lawmen have left the FLDS ranch in rural Schleicher County. Their roadblocks are down and the padlock is back on the gate that leads to ranch.

For nearly a week, the polygamist compound was both surrounded and invaded by hundreds of investigators from various agencies - including the FBI, which executed a federal search warrant on the property Wednesday.

And with the pull back of law enforcement comes the revelation that they found, during their search of the FLDS temple, at least one bed. Captain Barry Caver of the Texas Rangers said the bed was on the 3rd floor of the temple, but declined to describe it in any detail.

However, an affidavit unsealed yesterday in Texas District Court said that bed had " ...disturbed bed linens and a strand of hair that appears to be from a female head." The affidavit quotes a confidential informant as saying the bed was used for "sexual activity" between older men and underage girls.

A source tells ABC 4 News that under Warren Jeffs, the FLDS had made "sex a temple ordinance."

The raid was triggered by a call for help nearly two weeks ago from a 16-year old mother who said she was being physically abused. However, even though finding the girl and her 8-month old baby has been a priority of Texas child welfare workers, they have yet to be identified among the 419 children in protective custody. Their whereabouts remain undetermined.

What's more, there are as yet no charges related to the child abuse investigation. It took lawmen six days to search the ranch and now it will take them many more weeks of sorting through the evidence they found and transcripts of interviews with the women and children taken into state protective custody.

That protective custody by the Texas Child Protection Service will be tested next week in hearings before a state district judge. The children will taken by CPS when it was determined they either had been abused or where "at high risk to be abused."
 
ABC4.com
Originally broadcast April 10, 2008
 
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