January 16th 2024.
A horrific incident has recently come to light in the United States, where children were rescued from a cult that was operating in secret. It's hard to believe, but two young girls were found hidden inside a barrel at a remote compound belonging to a doomsday cult. The footage of their rescue is truly disturbing.
Apparently, this cult was located in the Utah desert and was made up of shipping containers. The children who were found there had allegedly been subjected to terrible abuse, including being married off by their own fathers and being sexually assaulted. It's truly heartbreaking to think that these innocent children were living in such a grim and terrifying environment.
The police had received a report from the ex-wife of one of the cult members, stating that her children were missing. This prompted a search operation, and the children were eventually found at the cult's compound. Among them were four-year-old Dinah and eight-year-old Hattie, who had been handed over to the cult leader, Samuel Shaffer, by their own father, John Coltharp. Shaffer, who was known as the "prophet" of the group, had reportedly married the two young girls and hidden them in the compound.
When the police arrived at the scene, they found Dinah and Hattie, as well as two other girls who had not been reported missing - Lily, aged seven, and Samantha, aged five. The two youngest girls, Hattie and Samantha, were found hidden inside blue water barrels, where they had been kept in freezing temperatures for more than 24 hours in an attempt to conceal them from the authorities. It's truly disturbing to think about the conditions these poor children were living in.
The cult leaders, Shaffer and Coltharp, were both arrested and jailed. It was believed that Coltharp was being groomed by Shaffer to take over as the "prophet" of the cult. They had even married each other's relatives in some kind of twisted ritual. Shaffer was sentenced to at least 26 years in prison, while Coltharp received a sentence of at least 25 years.
According to authorities, the cult was based on outdated and extreme Mormon beliefs and was centered around the idea of an impending apocalypse. The two men were also accused of sexually assaulting the two older girls, who were aged between four and eight years old. It's truly sickening to think about the horrific abuse these children had to endure.
The cult leaders had even created a website to promote their twisted beliefs. On the website, Shaffer wrote about how a man could simply hand over his wife to another man and she would become submissive to him. It's clear that these men had no regard for the safety and well-being of these innocent children.
The children were eventually brought to justice after Coltharp's ex-wife and sister reported them missing. Coltharp's sister even stated that he was a "doomsday prepper" and she feared that he was planning to marry off his daughters to Shaffer. It's truly disturbing to think about the twisted and dangerous beliefs these men held.
The cult was described as a "fundamentalist group for millennials" and believed in a Muslim invasion of the US and an impending apocalypse. The two men had taken the children to their compound in the wilderness, either to prepare for the apocalypse or to gain more followers. When questioned, Shaffer admitted that they were hiding the girls from the police.
It's truly sickening to think about the level of brainwashing and manipulation that must have taken place for these men to believe in such extreme and dangerous ideas. It's also important to note that polygamy and bigamy are illegal in the US, but Utah does not prosecute polygamists who are law-abiding citizens. This has led to the rise of polygamous communities, such as the one where this cult was operating.
In the end, justice was served and these poor children were rescued from a life of abuse and terror. It's hard to imagine the trauma they must have endured during their time at the cult compound. Let's hope that this serves as a cautionary tale and that steps are taken to prevent such horrific incidents from happening in the future.
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