Jeffs, Sect Members Face Sex Charges

Polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs and four members of the Texas ranch raided by authorities in April now face charges of sexually abusing girls under the age of 17, the Houston Chronicle reports. One of those indicted also is charged with bigamy, and a sixth person is accused of failure to report child abuse. A Texas grand jury handed down the charges today after two days of considering the state’s evidence.

“The indictments issued today are part of an ongoing and continuing investigation," said the Texas attorney general. "There will be an aggressive attempt to apprehend them.” Jeffs is currently jailed in Arizona on separate charges and may face extradition. At the courthouse today, women with braided hair and long dresses filed in and out of the grand jury room. "They're all taking the fifth," said a male sect member. (More Warren Jeffs stories.)