Almost six years after FBI agents raided the property of imprisoned polygamist Warren Jeffs and removed hundreds of children amid child sex abuse allegations, his Texas ranch where many of his followers lived was taken by Texas agents on Thursday, according to UPI.com.
The Texas Department of Public Safety took possession of the Yearning For Zion Ranch near Eldorado, where a reported eight adults were still living on the West Texas property, but agreed to leave after meeting with agents, UPI.com reported.
The DPS said authorities helped them vacate the ranch and take an inventory, according to UPI.com. Jeff's followers see him as God's spokesman on earth.
Jeffs is currently serving life in prison after being convicted in 2011 of sexually assaulting two girls he took as child brides, UPI.com reported.
The ranch was owned by his Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, a radical offshoot of mainstream Mormonism whose roughly 10,000 followers believe polygamy brings exaltation in heaven, according to UPI.com.
The state asked a judge to allow the forfeiture, alleging that FLDS leaders financed a $1.1 million purchase of the land in 2003 through money laundering, UPI.com reported. It also cited sexual assaults committed on the property.
Under Texas law, authorities can seize property that was used to commit or facilitate certain criminal conduct, according to UPI.com. A judge granted the state's request in January.
During Jeffs' trial, prosecutors used DNA evidence to show he fathered a child with a 15-year-old girl and played an audio recording of what they said was him sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl, UPI.com reported. They also played tapes in which Jeffs was heard instructing young women on how to sexually please him and, thus, please God.
