Amish couple arrested after ‘gifting’ their daughter, 14, to man who went on to father two children with her
The 51-year-old man was also arrested as TWELVE girls were rescued from his home
AN Amish couple allegedly ‘gifted’ their 14-year-old daughter to a man who is thought to have raped and fathered two children with her.
Daniel Stoltzfus, 43, and his wife Savilla Stoltzfus, 42, gave their daughter to 51-year-old Lee Kaplan in 2012 in return for help in saving their farm, officials said.
The three adults were found living in the same home where police also discovered 11 girls aged between six months and 8 years – including two born to the couple’s unidentified daughter.
Officials were called to Kaplan's home in Pennsylvania when a neighbour reported child abuse in the house, US news site CBS said.
Neighbour Jen Bets said there were “signs” something was wrong in the house.
She added: “(She was) too young to be the wife, but too old to be holding his hand.
“I just want them to get help and get back and be happy. They're so sad and fearful every time I see them. That's what made me call.”
She added that the girls often seemed 'fearful' and would run back to the house whenever 'the male' who lived there went to the door. Police said the children did not go to school.
The couple, whose given address is 75 miles away, were living there too, a police officer said.
It is not known how long they had been living there or why they moved in.