Texas Polygamist Ranch Leader Finally Indicted, page 1

*Mods, I was unsure of where to place this thread. Please relocate if this isn't the appropriate board.

www.usatoday.com...

Frederick "Merril" Jessop, 72, a leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints who oversaw its Yearning For Zion Ranch in west Texas, faces one count of conducting an unlawful marriage ceremony involving a minor.

Please visit the link provided for the complete story.

In all, 12 FLDS men have been indicted since Texas authorities raided the ranch in April looking for evidence of underage girls forced into marriages and sex with older men. Hundreds of children were placed in state custody for weeks before they were ordered to be returned to their parents.

Please visit the link provided for the complete story.

Willie Jessop said the state is making criminal cases to justify what he called a botched child custody case. Child welfare authorities have dropped most of the cases involving the 439 children taken from the YFZ Ranch; only about three dozen remain under court oversight.
The child welfare case was prompted by calls to a domestic abuse hotline from someone claiming to be a teen mother who was abused. Those calls are now being investigated as a hoax.

Please visit the link provided for the complete story.

The men who have been indicted are part of a breakaway sect of the Mormon Church. Polygamy is a fundamental aspect of their belief system, though it was renounced by the Mormon church more than one hundred years ago.

This was such a contentious story when it first came to light. I believe most were of the opinion that the sect should be infiltrated, but as time went on things became less clear. With the botched "rescue" of the children within the sect, this issue has become terrifically convoluted (to me, at least). What are your opinions regarding both the original issue and this new bit of information? What are your views on polygamy in general? Is your opinion contingent upon whether or not the individuals involved are of the age of consent (or is it unacceptable/acceptable regardless)?