O'Reilly Factor: Sex Cult Center of Court Case

Sex Cult Center of Court Case

Press » Fox News: The O'Reilly Factor » 2006-10-11

Download: The O'Reilly Factor: Child Custody Dispute in San Diego — (4:49, 37.2MB, WMV)

BILL O'REILLY: "Personal story" segment tonight, a four year-old named Kyle Staughton is caught up in a very difficult situation. Apparently, his mother Angie is a member of the religious cult called "The Family" that advocates open sexuality. Have sex with anybody you want.

Now Kyle's father Paul used to be a member of the cult, but has now left and wants custody of his son, saying the cult is a very bad place.

A San Diego judge has ordered the inspection of "The Family" commune before he decides the case.

Joining us now from San Diego is Paul Staughton and his attorney Robert Bauman. Angie Staughton would not appear with us this evening.

OK, Mr. Staughton, you were raised -- I guess your parents were in this Family deal. Tell us about what this is.

PAUL STAUGHTON: The Family is an organization, it's a religious organization. And they have some pretty - they have some beliefs that are pretty unorthodox.

O'REILLY: Like?

STAUGHTON: Well they believe in having free love in the communities. They believe in different -- including Jesus in sexual acts. They believe in -- they don't believe strongly in education, which is a big concern for me with my child. And also, they don't believe in having a lot of medical attention for the children.

O'REILLY: OK. Now how many people are in this commune in Escondido, California?

STAUGHTON: I think the base number is about 25, but they fluctuate probably up to 35 people coming and going.

O'REILLY: OK. So and they all have -- all the adults have sex with each other?

STAUGHTON: Well, if -- yes, they're able to, and it's promoted for them to go back and forth.

O'REILLY: And they have sex -- they have gay and heterosexual, anything goes, right?

STAUGHTON: No, they're strictly against homosexuality. In fact, that's probably something that they're really strict with and they don't allow at all. They will excommunicate you from the organization for that.

O'REILLY: OK. I was misled then. I thought there was another component to that. Now, children, they have sex with children?

STAUGHTON: Back some 20 years ago or so, they did condone sexual relations with children but as of sometime in the mid-80s, they -- they no longer believe that.

O'REILLY: OK. Because apparently, your wife, you say, your ex-wife was abused sexually. Is that true?

STAUGHTON: Yes, she was when she was a kid.

O'REILLY: Now is that what you want to get your child out of there?

STAUGHTON: It's one of the reasons. I mean, I want to get my child out of there because they don't -- they don't -- my child will have no education except for maybe up through grade six or seven. They don't promote education at all. They home school their children. And the parents don't home school them, but other people in the commune do, which are not educated themselves.

O'REILLY: Well, I can understand that.

Now Counselor, where is the case? I mean, the judge has ordered an inspection of the commune. But this is a pretty far-out outfit. Everybody believes that. Why wouldn't your client get custody right away?

ROBERT BAUMER: Well, a couple of reasons. In California, we have a system whereby you meet with a mediator and you attempt to work out the facts.

Mr. Staughton obtained the date for the mediation about the day he came into my office, and he made these allegations of the free sexual love between the adults and that these acts were observed by the children, but he had no backup proof to show it at the time.

Therefore, the recommendation was since the children had been with the mother for the last 14 months, to continue the children with the mother and give the father visitation.

O'REILLY: Are you going to be able to back up what Mr. Staughton says, that it's a free love outfit? Are you going to be able to back that up?

BAUMER: Yes, we already have. We've been able to obtain over the last six weeks declarations from members who have left from the cult.

O'REILLY: Then you should win, right? You should get Kyle out of there, right?

BAUMER: I would think so. Our burden of proof, Bill, is to show that an award of the child to the mother would be detrimental to the child, because the mother is incapable of protecting the child from sexual molestation and physical abuse.

O'REILLY: All right. Gentlemen, we appreciate it. Let us know what happens. An interesting case.

When we come back, Megyn Kendall on a murderer who might be set free because of a lapel pin. We're not kidding.

And then Pat Buchanan replies to a New York Times attack on him. It was brutal. Moments away.

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