Investigator: Sect girls pregnant as young as 13

[Beaverhausen]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24199519/

SAN ANGELO, Texas - After hours of lawyers popping up with similar objections and questions, a custody hearing for 416 children seized from a polygamist sect finally turned to whether they were abused: A child welfare worker said some women at the sect’s ranch may have had children when they were minors, some as young as 13.

The testimony came late Thursday, the first day of a court hearing to determine whether the children, swept up in a raid on the ranch two weeks ago, will remain in state custody. Child welfare officials claim the children were abused or in imminent danger of abuse because the sect encourages girls younger than 18 to marry and have children.

Child welfare investigator Angie Voss testified that at least five girls who are younger than 18 are pregnant or have children. Voss said some of the women identified as adults with children may be juveniles, or may have had children when they were younger than 18.

Identifying children and parents has been difficult because members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints have given different names and ages at various times, Voss said. The state has asked that DNA be taken from all of the children and their alleged parents to help determine biological connections. The judge has not ruled on that request.

[Thepricebreaker]

1. It wouldnt be illegal if that father was under 18.... happends a lot in the US.

[thereismore]

2. Stupid question. Removed. nt

[guyanakoolaid]

3. Actually it would in several places. And these men deserve a lot of jail time.

In Texas you must not be three years older than the person you inpregnate, so a 17 year old impregnating a 13 year old would still be illegal.

But let's be honest - the men committing these crimes are well past twenty. And religion is no defense to criminal conduct. They are criminals and need to be prosecuted as such, and then forced to register as the sex offenders that they are.

[Beaverhausen]

5. would it be illegal if the father already has 2 or more other wives?

are you defending these men?

[XemaSab]

6. Adultery isn't illegal

Statutory rape, on the other hand, is.

[Breeze54]

7. What's your point? Many of the husbands to these girls are in their 50's!

:puke:

[XemaSab]

4. DNA studies are going to be UGLY

They're not as bad as the Kingston family, but they're still pretty bad about cousins and other relatives marrying. Top that off with the fact that a kid can have 10 full siblings and DOZENS of half-siblings from dad's other wives to contend with. Finally, good old fashioned incest is also rampant.

The family tree doesn't branch much. :(

(Kinship relations there are FULL of stuff like girls marrying dad's half brother, then one of THEIR kids marrying mom's first cousin on her mom's side, and other puzzles to make a genetics student cry.)