A New York couple arrested in the kidnapping of two young Amish sisters may have also planned to abduct other children, authorities say.
"There was the definite potential" of additional victims besides the seven-year-old and 12-year-old, who were returned to their family late Thursday, said St. Lawrence County Sheriff Kevin Wells on Saturday.
Stephen Howells Jr. and Nicole Vaisey, both of Hermon, were arrested Friday. Each was charged with two counts of first-degree kidnapping with the intent to physically harm or sexually abuse the girls.
Wells said additional charges may be filed.
The sisters were abducted Wednesday from their roadside farm stand in Oswegatchie.
The motive was "to take these girls from their home and victimize these girls," said Wells.
Two girls who were taken from a farming community in Oswegatchie, were found at the door of a house in Hermon. (CBC)
The St. Lawrence County Sheriff's Office issued a statement late Friday saying the arrests of Howells and Vaisey "no doubt saved young children from future abuse."
Wells said in a statement that the older of the two girls provided "crucial information" that led to the arrests.
District Attorney Mary Rain said information provided by the girls helped lead to Howells and Vaisey. The suspects' home is about 21 kilometres from where the girls live.
"The suspects agreed to go to the sheriff's office to be interviewed earlier today and they were arrested after those interviews," Rain said.
The Associated Press generally does not identify victims of alleged sexual abuse.
The seven-year-old and 12-year-old vanished Wednesday evening in Oswegatchie, touching off a massive search in the farming community near the Canadian border.
They turned up safe about 24 hours later at the door of a house about 24 kilometres from where they were taken. Hermon is about 21 kilometres from Oswegatchie.
Searchers had scoured the farming community of about 4,000 people, in a hunt hampered by a lack of photos of the girls for authorities to circulate.
'This has sent a shockwave through their community.'- Patricia Ritchie, state senator representing the region
The Amish typically avoid modern technology, and the family had to work with an artist who spoke their language, a German dialect known as Pennsylvania Dutch, to produce a sketch of the older girl.
The episode left a sense of vulnerability in a community where residents said even small children often walk unaccompanied to school.
"One thing that comes from this is that people learn this can happen in a small town," the prosecutor said. "I think the public will take precautions, and that's the sad thing."
Patricia Ritchie, the state senator representing the region, said many are now reluctant to let their children play outdoors unattended.
Ritchie said the Amish are responding in a way that may forever change a familiar feature of the local landscape: Some are taking down their roadside stands.
"This has sent a shockwave through their community," she said.
Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang
Couple charged in Amish girls kidnapping may have planned more abductions
Dengan url
http://topstorinfo.blogspot.com/2014/08/couple-charged-in-amish-girls.html
Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya
Couple charged in Amish girls kidnapping may have planned more abductions
namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link
Couple charged in Amish girls kidnapping may have planned more abductions
sebagai sumbernya
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar