This case continues to get increasingly creepy on several levels. For those who may not remember, all this furor was started by an anonymous call from a "16 year-old girl" who alleged that Dale Barlow had illegal sexual relations with her, and also beat her.
As it turns out, Dale Barlow has evidently not been in Texas in several years. He was interviewed in Colorado City, Arizona by Texas Rangers who decided that there was insufficient evidence to make an arrest. See:
http://www.statesman.com/search/cont...t_Retreat.html
Barlow is certainly pond scum, but the fact that he wasn't even arrested is pretty telling. As is the failure of the anonymous caller to come forward out of all the 400+ children that have been removed from the compound and placed in temporary care. So far, the children are sticking to the story that no sexual misconduct occurred. Right now, sensational reporting and spin by state law enforcement aside, the State's case is looking like it has an uphill struggle ahead to try, let alone convict, anyone involved with the case.
For those who may not be familiar with the Texas legal system, Children's Protective Services operates just like the State Comptroller's Office or the IRS. They can act without due process. If abuse is reported to CPS, they can remove children from a household with no proof that the alleged abuse actually happened.
Unfortunately, in cases where real abuse or neglect can be proven, the children are still often returned to the same environment in a few months because of a lack of available foster care in the state, and perhaps because of the "conventional wisdom" that children should be with their parents or relatives.
While I still believe that many allegations of sexual misconduct and child abuse at Eldorado may be true, I think the State acted precipitously, and may well have damaged the case beyond repair.