From what I've read the concern is that children are being forced to "wed" older men of the compound and expected to engage in sex, as well as physical abuse from these same men. Interesting thing is that they actually the mothers stay with children under the age of 4, which is unusual when an abuse allegation has been made.
The thing that sparked this whole raid was an outcry made by a 16 year old girl that lived in the compound:
<I>In the documents, a local family violence shelter says it received a call from a 16-year-old girl on March 29 and 30. The girl said she was the seventh wife of a male resident at the ranch, believed to be 50-year-old Dale Barlow. Barlow is named in an arrest warrant on possible abuse charges, but is not specifically named in the documents as the girl's husband.</I>
<I>Dale Barlow is believed to be in Arizona.
</I>
<I>According to the documents, the girl told authorities her husband hit her in the chest and choked her while another woman held her infant child. The girl also claimed that at one point, her husband beat her so badly that he broke several of her ribs.
</I>
<I>She also told investigators that she has an 8-month-old child and is currently pregnant.</I>
<I>Describing how she came to live at the ranch, the girl told authorities her parents took her there three years ago. Two years later, when she was 15, she said, she was "spiritually married" to an adult male member of the church. She said he would beat her when he was angry. The last time he did so, she claimed, was on Easter Sunday. </I>
<I>The girl also told investigators she and other girls at the ranch were not allowed to leave the property unless it was to receive medical care. When they were allowed to leave, she said, they were accompanied by a man from the ranch and other women, as well.</I>
Crazy thing is... they still have not located this particular girl.
The thing that sparked this whole raid was an outcry made by a 16 year old girl that lived in the compound:
<I>In the documents, a local family violence shelter says it received a call from a 16-year-old girl on March 29 and 30. The girl said she was the seventh wife of a male resident at the ranch, believed to be 50-year-old Dale Barlow. Barlow is named in an arrest warrant on possible abuse charges, but is not specifically named in the documents as the girl's husband.</I>
<I>Dale Barlow is believed to be in Arizona.
</I>
<I>According to the documents, the girl told authorities her husband hit her in the chest and choked her while another woman held her infant child. The girl also claimed that at one point, her husband beat her so badly that he broke several of her ribs.
</I>
<I>She also told investigators that she has an 8-month-old child and is currently pregnant.</I>
<I>Describing how she came to live at the ranch, the girl told authorities her parents took her there three years ago. Two years later, when she was 15, she said, she was "spiritually married" to an adult male member of the church. She said he would beat her when he was angry. The last time he did so, she claimed, was on Easter Sunday. </I>
<I>The girl also told investigators she and other girls at the ranch were not allowed to leave the property unless it was to receive medical care. When they were allowed to leave, she said, they were accompanied by a man from the ranch and other women, as well.</I>
Crazy thing is... they still have not located this particular girl.