Third man charged in doomsday cult child abuse appears in court

Third man charged in doomsday cult child abuse appears in court

The third man to be charged with felony child sex abuse in connection with the Knights of the Crystal Blade doomsday cult made an appearance in Sixth District Court in Manti on Wednesday.  Robert Roe, 34, of Castro, California, made an initial appearance with his attorney, Steven Shapiro of Salt Lake City.  Charges were filed following an investigation into the group’s belief in child marriage, and a warrant was issued for Roe’s arrest.  According to court documents, the warrant was recalled when Shapiro contacted the court in Manti and said his client would appear in person.  Roe waived a reading of the charges, and Shapiro indicated there will most likely be a preliminary hearing in the case.  Sanpete County Attorney Kevin Daniels indicated there is a 110-page report from the FBI that both parties have just received and will need to go through before that hearing.  A waiver hearing was set for July 18 at which time a date for the preliminary hearing will be set.