Posted on 08/22/2008 9:32:19 AM PDT by greyfoxx39
When an FLDS mother called to tell her 14-year-old daughter a judge had ordered her back into state custody, the girl cried steadily for seven hours.
"Just me? Only me?" she asked her mother before dissolving into tears.
Barbara Jessop is breaking her silence to describe the traumatic Tuesday separation from her daughter. The teen - allegedly married to sect leader Warren S. Jeffs in 2006 - is the only FLDS child now in state care.
A videotape of her transfer in a state building parking lot shows the girl crying and holding her mother as Child Protective Services workers stand nearby.
Her family has become a focal point of child welfare and criminal investigations stemming from the spring raid on the Yearning For Zion Ranch, home to members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
Two older brothers were among six FLDS men, including Jeffs, indicted last month on sexual assault and other charges.
Court documents detail alleged marriages involving other family daughters who were minors and ceremonies overseen by Merril Jessop, the girl's father and ranch overseer.
A state attorney successfully argued Tuesday that Barbara Jessop, 55, had failed to show she would protect the 14-year-old, citing in part allegations of past physical abuse and her refusal to answer basic questions in court - including giving her children's names.
The state's ongoing criminal investigation made her silence necessary, her attorney said.
Jessop says she stands by her decision to exert her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination and refusing to testify about her family.
"As a free American citizen I chose to partake of the rights of the Constitution under the Bill of Rights and remain silent," she said.
Jessop was in San Angelo for Tuesday's court hearing. She made the three-hour drive to the family's apartment in Converse with less than an hour to spare before her daughter was taken by CPS workers at 7 p.m.
The video, taken by a relative, shows the girl clinging to her mother, sobbing, in a vehicle parked outside a state building. Two CPS workers hovered beyond the open passenger door and a handful of Texas Rangers were nearby.
"Mother, mother, please don't let me go," she cried. "Mother, mother, don't let them take me. They're not nice."
The girl balked when a caseworker said she needed to get out of the vehicle.
"I'm not getting out until you tell my mother where I'm going," she said. And then: "How can I leave my mother? How long will this be?"
Her mother and sisters eventually hugged her goodbye inside the building as two brothers watched.
"I told her to hang in there, the Lord will help her through it and we'll be praying for her," said brother Samuel, 17, who spent two months in state care at a boys' ranch this spring. "The thought of leaving her there with nobody she knew was about all I could handle."
His sister's return to foster care is more difficult to take, he said, because the first time the children "were together. She's not. She's by herself."
Tom Green District Judge Barbara Walther declined the state's request to also return the girl's 11-year-old brother to foster care.
On Wednesday, the boy said: "I would have went [into state care] for her."
CPS has said the girl was placed in an "individual foster home."
Since returning 440 children from the polygamous sect to their parents in June, the state has tacked in two directions - dropping cases involving 100 children while zeroing in on others.
In court this week, a CPS investigator and a child advocate described failed attempts to meet with Barbara Jessop over the past several months.
The mother on Wednesday blamed confusion about the process, miscommunication and conflicting schedules. She said that after other mothers began receiving information about safety plans and required parenting classes, she unsuccessfully requested the same information.
"It was very difficult to get an answer on what I could do to get this resolved," she said.
When she learned in mid-July the state again wanted custody of the 14-year-old and her brother, she said it was "stunning."
"This was just like a shock out of nowhere," said Barbara Jessop, who shared the news with the children to make them aware they might be "taken away."
From that point on, her daughter was "more emotional and concerned always," Barbara Jessop said.
"She needed to know every second where mother was," said Millie Jessop, 26, her sister.
Added Nancy, another sister: "She said, 'They are thinking of taking me away from my mother.' She said, 'I cannot live without my mother.' "
Barbara Jessop was allowed a monitored telephone call Thursday with her daughter, who "couldn't talk through her crying. I told her we need to be strong and that we were doing all we could to turn it around and come get her," she said.
"I cannot live without my mother!" What hogwash. Where was Mom when daughter was living with cult prophet Jeffs?
If anyone is taken in by this farce, they need their heads examined.
The State knows best of course......
FLDS ping
But mark my words by the time this fiasco plays out Texas taxpayers are going to make some of these FLDS people very, very rich.
L
Did the girl indeed live off the compound and with Jeffs?
susie
How do you know that she ever lived with Jeffs?
the girl cried steadily for seven hours.
___________________________________
Is it just me ????
What kid makes herself a giant headache, and sore throat from screamimg and has that much water in her tear ducts ???
What was the “mother” doing all this time ???
And did someone actually have a stop watch on the girl during her temper tantrum ???
I know you’re looking forward to that, but I don’t think that’s a slam dunk.
susie
Probably not...I forgot that he was on the run from law enforcement and in jail where he belongs for some time...but "Mom" encouraged the "marriage" prior to that.
TN.. I can believe that. When parents are upset...kids will be upset too. This time she goes alone. Last time she was with others. That has to be scary. I’m not saying it shouldn’t have been done but I can understand this child’s fears. Mom however....My sympathy for her is long gone.
Damn what a picture........ Need a few screens side by side to take it all in....
I can’t even see it yet:’)
I feel awful for the girl. I dont’ know how scary it is (at least she does know what’s in store, and I do suspect that her foster parents will be above reproach, simply because the state could not afford to do otherwise). But I know it must be heartbreaking and confusing for her. Even abused children generally want to stay with their parents, and I rather doubt this child thinks she’s been abused.
What a mess.
susie
IF you are on dial up or a slow system you’ll be a while...
“big” house:’)
What a mess
It's on the 4th row from the bottom.
When you go to the properties page to copy the URL for the image look at the pixel demensions. If it much above 800 - 1000 each way then it will post large.
"Marie-Anne Pierrette Paulze. In 1771, Lavoisier married 13-year old Marie-Anne Pierette Paulze, the daughter of a co-owner of the Ferme. With time, she proved to be a scientific colleague to her husband by learning English so she could translate the writings of Priestley and others and by developing skills in art and engraving. Madame Lavoisier drew the sketches of Lavoisier's apparatuses and laboratory, including all of the drawings in his book, Traité élémentaire de chemie. She developed a scientific mind and was known to take lively part in discussions of writings on phlogiston and the chemical results of others." [Emphasis mine.]
No doubt the freedom hating individuals on this thread would have those they disagree with beheaded as the French did Lavoisier. He must have been evil, he married a 13-year old. There is no justification, ever, for a child to be forcibly separated from those they love. Such action might be understandable in a totalitarian state, but would never have been tolerated in America while it was still free.
Idiots! When they come after your loved ones, because some bureaucrat has decided your teaching your child your religion, or homeschooling them, is abuse, don't complain.
Hank
What hogwash. Where was Mom when daughter was living with cult prophet Jeffs?
Clearly this girl is mature enough to be married! /sarc
I don't hate for one thing. I do not understand a religion that allows multi wives & teen wives. Or a religion that tosses young men out on the street.
Polygamy is against the law as you and everyone knows it. Change the darn laws if you are for it!!!.
One thing I do resent is the bleeding of the beast! I do resent paying for any man to have tons of children & wives he can by support by himself. I do resent teen girls not having the chance to decide who they want to marry. I really don't understand people who would allow their sons to be driven away or be told to give their own child to another mother to raise. But the biggest thing I don't understand is the women allowing OLD men to take their teen daughters. It is disgusting IMHO. Have a nice day...~Pandora~
I resent men having tons of wives & children that they can not support by themselves. I know plenty of people that have small families because they can't manage to support a huge family.
What, pray tell, are the states *ends*?
susie
It’s so sad to see someone actually post that because there may be some abuse at some point down the road, we cannot enforce existing laws. And you call me an idiot?
susie
Apparently, Susie, you don’t know the difference between laws and morality. Millions of people have died at the hands of those “enforcing the law.” No one has ever suffered at the hands of those who live morally.
You have your laws and I’ll have my morality.
Hank
Sadly, for you, you don’t get to decide what you’re going to do based on what YOU find moral. That’s why we have laws, which are often based on morality. If you don’t care for the laws, you can certainly work to get them changed, but until you get that accomplished, I highly recommend you don’t marry more than one woman or an underage girl.
susie
Hide the salami is an inappropriate game for grown adult men to be playing with little girls.
You are wasting your time. My values are higher than any of your political created laws, and they include keeping my nose out of other people’s lives and business.
None of you are interested in the welfare of those girls, and nothing you want done is going to improve anything. You just cannot bear that some people do not agree with you and are determined to force your views on everyone. If I were like you, my standards are so high, you’d probably spend the rest of your life in jail. But I’m not like you, and if you choose to accept silly values, like obeying any law, whether that law is moral or not, I wish you freedom to do so. I do not wish to meddle in your life, why do you want to meddle in the lives of others?
Hank
Oh by the way, I do decide what I do based on the principles I hold, and I have no fear of any man-made stupid laws. Just like the founders of this country, I live by the principles I hold, and if some government wants to violate those principles, I’ll fight to the death, if necessary, to be free, but most likely will simply avoid the parasites that want to feed on my productive efforts.
I know it’s something you do not understand, and you would obey any law, however obscene, and pride yourself on being a “good law-abiding citizen” (read sheep).
Hank
Hank, you have quite the opinion of yourself! And yes, I agree, discourse with you is certainly a waste of my time. Thanks for reminding me!
susie
Or their husbands.
True. I’ve had a family member who was abused by her husband. It took her a LONG time to finally actually leave him. I never understood that.
susie
As far as meddling and such, if protecting innocent young girls from old perverts is “meddling” call me guilty. I believe young girls have rights and indeed are in more need of the protection of those rights then old pervs. You may disagree.
I see from your post below that, you brag of having “high standards” if 30, 40 or 50 year old men getting it on with children is your “high standard”, as indicated here, then I am glad as a society we have such low ones.
If you really want to call us idiots for wanting to protect children from perverts and exploitation, then so be it, in fact in this particular case, I am the dumbest son of a bitch on the planet.
What, pray tell, are the states *ends*?
________________
Do you need a list? I can start with # 100 and work backward. One per post.
100 - Child service bureacracy is incapable of confessing error. They take themselves far too seriously.
After being forced to return all of the children they removed from FPLP homes they are obliged to prove they were not in error.
The egregious violation of civil rights currently being perpetrated is based on the notion that the mother is incapable of protecting her child by virtue of her unwillingness to speak against herself. CPS’ convoluted logic defies reason and the law. This, too, will not stand the test of reasonable legal action.
You must have a bail bondsmen on speed dial.
That is perhaps the silliest and indeed the most "nonconservative' statement I think I have ever seen. The very Constitution itself was written to guarantee freedom and still protect life. I guess the Founding Fathers were silly idiots...
By your standard we should ignore rapist, robbers and murders because those are silly laws and should not get up in someones else's life, it's their business if they kill someone, not ours...
I really hate to point this out, again, but the principles held by the founders caused the to WRITE THE CONTITUTION, THE BASIS OF ALL OUR LAWS AND THE DOCUMENT THAT CREATED OUR GOVERNEMNT....
Minor but very very important detail you may want to consider when putting together your train of "logic"...
Thanks. These threads always expose the hidden perverts and pedophiles on this site.
That is pretty much the mindset of felons, criminals and abusers - "stay out of my business!"
Mom allowed the marriage when the girl was 12 years old. (as did the sperm donor - no father, that).
May the Lord convict the conscience of anyone who trades their daughter this way. And anyone who tries to make excuses or defend giving a 12 year old in marriage in this day and time.
Children of 12 cannot make good decisions. Their parents should either make *legal* decisions or pay the legal consequences, as well as the ones the Lord will inflict. Shame!
I’m proud to say that I hate child sexual molesters. Don’t you?
You assume too much by saying that this is religious bias, when it’s been stated over and over that it’s a matter of protection from child sexual predators.
Let me see if my wife can dig up some of the case photos from her foster care management days. The pictures of the two year old girl beaten to death by her "loving" father should really please you as much as the fact the father was arrested under our "silly laws" will upset you.
Fortunately the authorities did act "unjustifiably' in time to save her older brother, he only had a broken are and severe bruising...
I pray to God she has disposed of the photos, I hate to even think about them
I am so very glad I, and 95% of the people in the world, are idiots in your mind...
Damn, just damn...
Let me see if my wife can dig up some of the case photos from her foster care management days. The pictures of the two year old girl beaten to death by her "loving" father should really please you as much as the fact the father was arrested under our "silly laws" will upset you.
Fortunately the authorities did act "unjustifiably' in time to save her older brother, he only had a broken are and severe bruising...
I pray to God she has disposed of the photos, I hate to even think about them
I am so very glad I, and 95% of the people in the world, are idiots in your mind...
Damn, just damn...
Let me see if my wife can dig up some of the case photos from her foster care management days. The pictures of the two year old girl beaten to death by her "loving" father should really please you as much as the fact the father was arrested under our "silly laws" will upset you.
Fortunately the authorities did act "unjustifiably' in time to save her older brother, he only had a broken are and severe bruising...
I pray to God she has disposed of the photos, I hate to even think about them
I am so very glad I, and 95% of the people in the world, are idiots in your mind...
Damn, just damn...
You call us the idiots. You name yourself.
I advocated for the clarification of the laws of consent in 2005 in order to protect girls like this from sexual predators.
The representative government of the people of Texas have one law for all our citizens.
It is incredible. It goes beyond political differences, no human, conservative or liberal, with a good conscience, can condone such thinking.
I have to go home and hug my infant son now, knowing I have the awesome task to protect him from such “reasoning”...
Polygamy is practiced on every block inn every state in this country. What, precisely, do you think divorce permits?
Hugh Hefner of Playboy fame is lionized as a geriatric pimp. His stable of adolescent bimbos is nothing if not polygamy and prostitution.
What you do not understand is not grounds for contempt. What you think you understand has nothing to do with the truth or reality. You post is a perfect example of the problem the state is having with this issue. There is such a mass of confusion, prejudice, misunderstanding and hatred that the state has made itself into an enemy of justice. And justice, if it is shut up and denied to the most outrageous, is not accesible to the most gentle.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.