Amish couple ‘gave 14-yr-old daughter to man who raped and fathered two kids with her to save farm’
Daniel Stoltzfus, 43, along with his wife Savilla, 42, are alleged to have 'given' their daughter to 51-year-old Lee Kaplan
AN Amish couple accused of giving away their 14-year-old daughter to a man who fathered two children with her have appeared in court.
Daniel Stoltzfus, 43, along with his wife Savilla, 42, gave their daughter to 51-year-old Lee Kaplan in 2012 in return for help in saving their farm, officials say.
All three appeared at a preliminary court hearing in Feasterville, Pennsylvania, today and were marched before the press wearing prison jumpsuits.
The court ruled all three would stand trial on the charges.
The three adults - arrested in June - 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.
related stories
Officials were called to Kaplan’s home in Pennsylvania when a neighbour reported child abuse in the house, US news site CBS said.
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.
The Stoltzfus pair told police they were going to lose their farm until Kaplan “came out of the blue and saved them from financial ruin” around four years ago, Bucks County District Attorney David Heckler said.
Mr Stoltzfus said that he thought that handing his daughter over in the alleged transaction was legal after researching online, it is claimed.
Kaplan impregnated the 14-year-old almost immediately after she entered his home, according to court papers, and again when she was aged 17.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368.