A former Amish couple accused of gifting their teenage daughter to a 51-year-old man, who then fathered two children with her, will stand trial.
Dozens of people from the Lancaster Amish community packed the Bucks County courtroom, but had little to say. They were there to see former members of their community, Daniel and Savilla Stoltzfus face a judge. The two are accused of “gifting” one of their teenage daughters to Lee Kaplan.
Kaplan and the Stoltzfus’s had their preliminary hearing and are now headed to trial.
Police say Kaplan fathered two children with the teenager who was allegedly given to him by her parents.
Tuesday detectives took the stand, along with the girl, who they say was 14 at the time, when she was gifted in exchange for Kaplan’s help to get the Stoltzfus’s out of financial ruin.
She’s now 18. When she took the stand she said she lived with Lee Kaplan inside his Feasterville home in 2013. In July, investigators say they found nine other Stoltzfus children inside Kaplan’s home.
Kaplan is facing several charges including Statutory Sexual Assault and the girl’s parents are facing Conspiracy charges. The defense attorneys tried to get some of the charges dropped arguing there is no legal documentation to prove a marriage had not occurred, but the girl testified she had not married Kaplan.
The victim, also, said her parents knew the nature of her relationship with him, and said her mother helped deliver one of her babies.
Prosecutors say her parent should have contacted authorities about the underage sexual relationship.
A trial date has not been set.