Shocking moment cops discover two missing girls hidden in barrels at site of doomsday cult

Warning: Contains reference to child abuse

Bodycam footage filmed by police in Utah shows the moment officers found two girls who had been kidnapped and hidden in barrels.

The two young girls were discovered in a remote area of Utah desert, where they had been left after being reported missing by the ex-wife of John Alvin Coltharp, a member of a cult group called The Knights of the Crystal Blade.

KSTU

The wife of Coltharp, who was described by his sister as a 'doomsday prepper', told authorities he had taken all four of their children and fled after he lost custody of the children in divorce proceedings.

Police put out an Amber Alert for the children in December 2017, and managed to narrow down their locations to the remote area of Lund, around 275 miles south of Salt Lake City.

Footage shared by the YouTube page Explore With Us shows the moment police spotted one of the girls as they approached two blue barrels lying in the middle of the desert in freezing temperatures.

Two girls were found there, barefoot and wearing only thin clothing inside the empty 50-gallon water drums where they are believed to have stayed for hours.

YouTube/Explore With Us

One of the children spoke with the officers and informed them there were more girls hidden in a red storage container.

Police did manage to locate the other two children, who had been hidden in a single-wide trailer. Their discovery came after police tracked down Coltharp’s two sons earlier the same day.

All four girls were taken to hospital to receive treatment after being found, with one of them flown to Primary Children's Hospital due to her more severe condition.

As they investigated the case, police learned Coltharp and self-proclaimed cult leader, Samuel Shaffer, had married each others' daughters, who were both minors.

Shaffer admitted to police during the investigation that he had been trying to hide the girls when they were found in the barrels.

Both Coltharp and Shaffer were arrested and charged for their treatment of the children.

Shaffer was initially sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for first-degree felony rape of a child and one second-degree felony count of child abuse.

He later also pleaded guilty to felony sodomy on a child, for which he was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison, running concurrently with his previous sentence.

Coltharp pleaded guilty to to sodomy and child bigamy charges, and received a sentence of at least 25 years in prison.

If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence regarding the welfare of a child, contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline on1.800.422.4453. Professional crisis counselors are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in over 170 languages.

All calls are confidential. The hotline offers crisis intervention, information, and referrals to thousands of emergency, social service, and support resources.

• Cold case murder finally solved 50 years later after FBI report allowed killer to escape
• Shocking moment 6-year-old shot teacher revealed in bodycam footage played in court
• Sex worker strangled to death during $2,000 sex session as cops reveal what made alleged killer 'snap'
• Man who married a 32-year-old at age 15 describes when he knew it was wrong