8 More Indictments in Texas FLDS Polygamist Case

This Wednesday, a grand jury in West Texas handed down eight more indictments in the highly controversial FLDS case.  The case's criminal investigation revolves around child abuse allegations against members within the polygamist sect.
 
Currently, the leader of the sect, Warren Jeffs, remains jailed.  Criminal charges have been brought against Jeffs and three other Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ members.  The charges include eight felonies for aggravated sexual assault, bigamy and tampering with physical evidence.  

Members of FDLS have been under investigation by law enforcement since April 2008.  In April, Texas Child Protective Services removed more than 400 children from the groups' Yearning For Zion Ranch, which is located in Eldorado.

Prior indictments of FDLS members occurred earlier this year.   To date, 12 adults have been indicted in court for their actions and roles in the marriages of minor girls.   The girls were removed from by CPS caseworkers because it was discovered that they were being groomed for illegal marriages.  The removed children were returned to their parents, save for a few dozen which remain under the supervision of the court. 

The names or the gender of the people indicted this past Wednesday have not been released to the public.   However, their criminal charges have been made public.  The first member has been indicted for conducting an unlawful marriage ceremony between an adult and a minor, the second was indicted for three counts of third-degree bigamy and the third was indicted for four felony charges:  first-degree bigamy, second-degree bigamy, third-degree bigamy and tampering with physical evidence. 

Jeffs is the fourth defendant in the case.  He was indicted on Wednesday for a first-degree felony count of aggravated sexual assault.  In addition, he was indicted in July for the sexual assault of a minor.

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