“We just kept finding children”, recalled Lower Southampton Police Lt. John Krimmel. Kaplan reportedly began a sexual relationship with the girl at age 14, and she gave birth to two of his children.
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Daniel Stoltzfus and his wife have been charged “with conspiracy of statutory sexual assault and children endangerment”, according to the New York Post.
In a related case, authorities almost 100 miles away in Lancaster County arrested the parents of the 18-year-old, with police saying the couple had “gifted” their daughter to Kaplan for helping them out of financial difficulties. Officials acting on a tip raided Kaplan’s home in Feasterville, PA, on Thursday, where they found the young woman, identified in court documents as K.S., along with 11 other girls. Police said the girls living with Kaplan at his house ranged in age from 6 months to 18 years. The teenager said that two of the children, a 3-year-old and a 6-month-old, were her own with Kaplan.
Kaplan, as well as Daniel and Savilla Stoltzfus, are being held in lieu of $1 million bail, the AP reported.
He faces charges of statutory sexual assault, corruption of minors, aggravated indecent assault, indecent assault and unlawful contact with a minor, CNN reported.
Police officer Lt Ted Krimmel, who is investigating the case, told CBS Local: “We believe that they’re originally from Lancaster County in the Amish community”.
Authorities are still trying to determine who the other 9 girls are.
When police entered the home Thursday, “all the children were running around”, Krimmel said. The father claims that research he did online said it was okay legally for the couple to trade their daughter for money, according to court papers. I don’t know, just an instinct. Twelve of the girls he had been harboring were placed with Child Protective Services.
Kaplan’s neighbours have said the girls were rarely seen outside their house, and were not sent to school.
Savilla Stoltzfus, 42, has been charged in connection with the alleged abuse by Lee Kaplan. The criminal complaint indicates that Daniel Stoltzfus knew Kaplan had fathered his two grandchildren and that his daughter had been only 14 years old when she became pregnant. They operated a metalworking business on the property.
Investigators are still piecing together what exactly happened, Heckler said, including how Kaplan and the couple met each other.
In his booking photo, Kaplan appears with long gray hair and an unkempt beard.
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The authorities said an anonymous phone call had tipped them off. “He’s asking, “Why you there?’ and he don’t have much time to talk and he’s not comfortable having people around”, said Ed Martin of Quarryville, adding he found Daniel Stoltzfus a bit peculiar”.
