ELDORADO, Texas - A judge has kept in foster care a 16-year-old daughter of polygamist sect prophet Warren Jeffs after the girl's lawyer said she had been sexually abused.

Flower Mound attorney Natalie Malonis said the girl shouldn't be released by Child Protective Services under the same terms as other sect children being freed from state custody this week.

"There are no restrictions or provisions which take into account the immediate risk of her alleged perpetrator having access to" the girl," Ms. Malonis said.

State District Judge Barbara Walther of San Angelo kept the girl in state custody for up to 72 hours to allow Ms. Malonis and D. Timothy Edwards of San Angelo, attorney for Annette Jeffs, the girl's mother, a chance to negotiate with CPS.

Sect spokesman Willie Jessop said he didn't know what girl a reporter was talking about. CPS spokeswoman Shari Pulliam declined to comment.

Meanwhile, Judge Walther began receiving results of DNA tests administered to sect children and many parents.

"Our investigation is going to continue,” Ms. Pulliam said, “And the DNA testing is a very important part of that investigation."

While the Texas Rangers and state attorney general's office pursue possible criminal charges against certain men in the sect, CPS says it simply needs the test results to establish family relationships.

"That's a piece of the puzzle we don't have, to figure out who we're going to be working with," Ms. Pulliam said.

Gov. Rick Perry, who indicated last month that he was proud of the actions taken by CPS, warned through a spokeswoman that Friday's decision by the Texas Supreme Court ordering the sect children's release could result in placing youngsters in danger.

"The governor is concerned that the legal process by which the children were removed from their home is overshadowing the sexual abuse allegations at hand," said Perry's deputy press secretary, Allison Castle.

"He is very troubled that the children, especially those most at risk for abuse in this case - young girls - are being sent back to the very compound that is riddled with uncertainty, potential for harm and remains at the center of a very serious criminal investigation," Ms. Castle said.

The sect has denied there is any greater prevalence of child abuse in its ranks than in mainstream society. It says Texas swept its more than 450 children into custody two months ago in an act of religious persecution.

On Tuesday, teary reunions of the children and their parents continued across the state.

Ms. Pulliam said 229 of the youth had been released as of late Monday.