I just threw up a little bit in my mouth.

Her belly is weirdly bulgy.

"Ugh" just about covers it.

I was simply astonished (and wondering what judges were bought/threatened) when the Texas Court of Appeals ruled the lower court incorrect when it authorized the removal of the children. It is hard to imagine a more clear-cut case of mass abuse of children. To put as fine a point on it as I can, notice how it isn't Satanists or Atheists that perpetrated this.

Is that young'un pregnant? I looked at the photos on Smoking Gun and was more inclined than less to think so.

It's difficult for me to interpret FLDS because the "old man-young virgin" situation goes on throughout the world even in this day and age. But, at minimum, it shouldn't go on in this country in this day and age.

We are still in a world that accepts, often endorses this behavior after lo, these many centuries, and so many folks (male and female) are raised to believe that this is appropriate.

We have so very far to go to get the most basic equalities and rights for women...on some days, I mourn.

I'm glad these are posted somewhere. The polygamist YFZ folks are beginning to improve their PR skills and now we have proof that the State of Texas didn't respond without just cause.

... somehow, we're the immoral ones.

but if you just say its your religion, its AOK.

However, the phrase "offering the onomatopoeia of my outrage" is pretty wicked.

Who could ask for more than that?

Jeffs should get the death penalty.

Ugh indeed. I wish you had given me the option to click through to The Smoking Gun instead of just posting the thing. I go out of my way not to rubberneck, so having it splatted right on my windshield does not amuse me.

I guess you could make a thousand-words argument about these photos - a little visceral twist for those extremist libertarians who believe that anybody should be able to marry anybodies regardless of age or anything else. But I already thought this guy was gross without the pix.

And why is it OK to send around photos of an adult passionately kissing a 14-year-old all of a sudden? I mean, I got over the Death of Common Decency long ago, but what happened to juvenile privacy?

That's easily one of the most disturbing, squirm-inducing photos I've seen in a while. Up to this point the entire story's been on the periphery of my radar, shoved aside by the Hillary/Obama Deathmatch. Now I'll be following the fates of Warren Jeffs and his brethren much more closely.

the effort to make the dress as long and as covering as possible - what might be considered "modest" attire. What a vile, vile man.

Where are you tonight?At the play ground? C'mon perves defend this picture.

Sorry to be a stickler for details here, but you don't have to call it pedophilia in order for it to be horribly wrong.

Pedophilia is a desire for sexually undeveloped children - the younger the better. Someone who is old enough to bear children herself would never be an object of desire for a pedophile.

...there are just no words.

He is definitely closer to hell.

AND HE WILL BURN IN IT.

And strangely she didn't turn into a meth addicted pole dancer. Go figure.

To be the stickler to your stickler -- a 12-year-old IS a victim of pedophilia. Pederastry doesn't kick in until the child looks like a young adult, so around 14, and most 12 year olds look more child-like than sexually mature. This guy is operating on the upper end of pedophilia (as far as I know he didn't rape them until they were over 11 or so?) but it's pedophilia nonetheless.

So why is Salon publishing this story? Yes it is disturbing, so why do you have to reprint this photo and tell us all about it? Isn't Glenn Greenwald always writing about how lame it is that the mainstream media focuses on bullshit trivial issues, then justifies it by saying "people are interested in it?"

Surely there has to be some better subject you can call attention to this this ridiculously easy moral outrage target. Aren't you basically pulling a "To Catch A Predator" here, encouraging us to revel in our supposed superiority as human beings as we point the finger at the personification of Evil? Sure he's done some horrible shit and should be locked up but the guy is obviously sick and needs treatment. Hating him isn't helping anyone.

I have seen ugly ugly but tolerably slick defenses of this cult published, including on Salon letters.

Here is something pretty goddamn hard to argue with.

Yes it is ugly, but I think Salon and Smoking Gun did right, as did the court, to make these pictures public. One of the problems in child welfare, is the perpetrator gets to trumpet their lies to the wind, while child protection has to a) not screw up the case by talking out of court, and b) protect the children's and families' privacy.

Getting pix like these out, well, it kind of puts the kibosh on that scenario. Now everyone can see exactly what kind of scumbag this asshole is. The truth, plain and simple (unless our conspiracy minded brethren want to maintain that these pictures were photoshopped by the government of Texas).

The cult has hired a PR agent and is getting very sympathetic press. The fact that they MOLEST CHILDREN is being lost in the sympathy for mother's who have been separated from their children. The wider these pictures get spread, the better. People need to wake up and realize that these people are not just living their life the way they want, they are dragging young girls into the life as well.

Mormonism isn't the only religion that pretends molestation and abuse doesn't exist under it's convenient umbrella. Please show the photos, so the world knows that right here in a county so great, something despicable is happening.

What a freakfest! Jeffs is so vile he wouldn't be worth beating to a bloody pulp. If he remains in prison long enough, someone will get to him though.