U.S. law enforcement agents raid polygamous homes in Arizona

U.S. law enforcement agents investigating charges of underage marriage and sexual abuse raided four houses simultaneously in a polygamous enclave in a border town between Arizona and Utah, the Los Angeles Times' website reported Friday.

Investigators, in the unusual show of force, seized box loads of records and personal belongings of members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (FLDS) who have been indicted on a variety of charges, including sexual conduct with a minor and conspiracy.

The synchronized raids by four separate teams of law officers came Thursday, in the wake of increased public attention to allegations of mistreatment of women and children by members of the religious sect.

A series of Los Angeles Times reports two weeks ago detailed more than 50 years of slow and ineffective response by law enforcement and other public-safety agencies in the face of widespread reports of abuse.

The FLDS, an offshoot of Mormonism, claims 10,000 members and is led by Warren Jeffs, a fugitive on the FBI's "Ten Most Wanted" list.

Jeffs is accused of rape, arranging underage marriages and unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.

The Times series earlier this month recounted allegations of widespread incest, sexual abuse of children and the systematic exile of hundreds of boys from the community.

While Local police were accused of operating as church enforcers, rather than administrators of the law.

After years of neglect, officials in Utah and Arizona have begun to crack down on the FLDS, seizing documents from their school, decertifying polygamous police officers and getting the FBI in on the search for Jeffs.

They said eight men are expected to stand trial in July, and these indictments are only the beginning.

The eight men facing trial all have multiple wives. Each has pleaded not guilty to the charges of sexual violations.

Source: Xinhua