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Thirty-seven year old Sara Tasneem once had big plans for her future.

During her first year in high school, Tasneem had decided she wanted to join the United States Air Force and go to law school. But her American-born father had different ideas. He gave her to a man to be married when she was only 15 years old.

At the time, Tasneem visited her father during the summer months. Normally, while attending school, she lived with her mother.

“My dad had become involved in a very…it’s basically kind of like a cult. It’s separate from the religion of Islam. It’s different in its practices and beliefs,” she said. “Growing up in the group, it was your role as a girl that you would just be a wife and a mom.”

Sara Tasneem is not her real name, but one she used to protect her privacy.

Study Examines Child Marriage in US – VOA News