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Authorities found the two girls, aged 7 and 4, stuffed inside blue water barrels
Shocking new footage has revealed the chilling moment authorities in Utah rescued two girls from the site of a doomsday cult that their paedophile fathers led. The little girls were foundstuffed inside blue water barrels.
The discovery was made back in 2017, when police found the girls, aged 7 and 4, shivering inside 50-gallon barrels on a property that was used by the Knights of the Crystal Blade, bodycam footage obtained by the Explore With Us YouTube channel shows. Photos from the scene show that a loaded gun was also placed on the ground next to the children.
“I don’t have pants on!” one of the little girls keeps telling rescuing officers who ask them to enter a warm vehicle. Police ask where the girls’ younger sisters are, to which they respond, “They’re in a box really far away from us.” However, they were later found in a trailer.
One of the rescued girls was a daughter of the cult’s self-proclaimed prophet, Samuel Shaffer. He later pleaded guilty to child rape and abuse, and is now serving 26 years to life behind bars. The other girl was the daughter of leading disciple John Coltharp, who is now serving at least 25 years in prison for sodomy and child bigamy. Trials revealed that the two men may have “married” their own youngest daughters.
Coltharp’s two daughters and two sons had been missing since September 2017, at the time the rescue operation was carried out. Their mom had filed for divorce. She had also been seeking custody of the children.
Police initially found the boys, 6 and 7 years old, while raiding the cult’s property later. However, a nationwide Amber Alert was issued when the girls could not be located.
Coltharp was arrested at the scene for abduction. Shaffer remained with police under caution. He refused to disclose the whereabouts of the girls, repeatedly. As the officers tried to locate the children in the dark, one cop can be heard saying, “I’ll take his a** up in the helicopter and throw him out.”
An investigation later revealed that Shaffer and Coltharp were “betrothed” to some of the girls, according to KUTV.
