clipped from: news.independent.co.uk The Children of God began in Southern California in the late l960s, founded by self-styled guru and paedophile, the late David Berg. The CoG believe themselves to be God's elect, offering redemption only to those who join them and adhere to their strict codes. One of Berg's edicts was the "Law of Love", which allowed adult males to have sex with anyone they wanted, including children – Berg called this "sharing", and anyone who wasn't willing to "share" was accused of not loving God enough. Girls from the age of 10 were used in recruitment, offering prospective cult members sex in a practice called "flirty fishing".