Warren Jeffs, the leader and "prophet" of the 10,000-member polygamist sect which spread from The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS), along with four of his followers have been indicted by a Texas grand jury on charges of sexual assault of a child. The move comes a few months after state authorities raided the YFZ  ranch at Eldorado, Texas.

The four members of the sect that split from the Mormon Church after the latter renounced polygamy in 1890 have been formally accused of one count of sexually assaulting girls under 17, according to Attorney General Greg Abbott. One of them faces an additional charge of bigamy. Abbot added that a sixth sect member has been charged with three counts of failure to report child abuse.

"Our investigation in this matter is not concluded," said the attorney general probably referring to the fact that the grand jury will continue consideration of other possible criminal charges on August 21.

Authorities did not release the identities of Jeffs’ followers who were indicted because the indictments remain sealed until authorities can arrest the sect members. However, Jeffs, who is accused of assaulting a teen girl on January 2005, is in custody in Arizona.

The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS) bought approximately 1,900 acres near Eldorado about four years ago. There they build the ranch and called it the YFZ ("Yearning for Zion") Ranch. About 400 members of the church were relocated from their Arizona and Utah compounds to the YFZ Ranch.

Since 2002, when his father died, the community has been led by Warren Jeffs. It’s one of the several religious groups which spread from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints after the Mormon Church renounced polygamy in 1890.

Jeffs was also convicted for involvement in the rape of a 14-year-old girl in 2001, the year when she wed her cousin in an arranged marriage. In Utah, he was sentenced for to two consecutive sentences of five years to life in prison. He is now behind bars at the Mohave County Jail in Kingman, Ariz.