Cox family considering lawsuit

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 News) A lawsuit against Washington social service agencies is being planned by the Cox family.

Chuck Cox confirmed that during an interview Monday with ABC 4 News.

“We are taking action,” says Cox. “We are doing what we can do deal with this situation legally and see that people are held accountable for their action or lack of action.”

Cox refused to go into detail based on his attorney’s advice.

But he says the recently released psychological report on Josh Powell adds to his anger.

“I'm just amazed and shocked that child protective services and DHSF (Dept. of Social and Health Svc.) would consider giving custody back to somebody with that disorder,” says Cox. “It’s beyond my imagination … I don't understand how that could be.”

During a raid at Steve Powell's home in Washington detectives and now psychologists got their first their first clue about Josh Powell's thinking.

In a laptop were several sexual images of cartoon characters allegedly drawn by Josh.

According to psychologist James Manley who reviewed the images he wrote: “The reviewed images indicate someone's fantasy-laden view of having sex with children. This is not a healthy parenting perception.”
Charlie and Braden were living with their grandparents. But Cox says Josh should never have been given visitation rights had social services done their job.

The report says the boys spoke of hating Mormons and Jews.

“We certainly did see warning signs with the both of them of things that they were doing, expressing them selves,” Cox says. “It gave us great cause for concern about what they had been taught and how they had been raised.”

Cox says they warned social services about the boys’ behavior but were ignored. And now their next stop may be the courtroom.