Lee Kaplan’s trial postponed.
A southeastern Pennsylvania man who kept 11 girls as his sex slaves, out of which two are reportedly his own children, has been charged with sex crimes, according to a criminal complaint.
According to the prosecutors, the man named Lee Kaplan was living with the 11 girls, 9 of them sisters, after their father gifted his 18-year old elder daughter (who was then 14-years old) for helping him come out of a financial crisis.
According to The Washington Post, the elder girl gave birth to two children from the man who sexually assaulted five of the teen’s sisters, girls who are now between the ages of 8 and 17.
The alleged sexual pervert was in this June charged with statutory sexual assault and other offenses after a neighbor reported about the ordeal of the girls.
Bucks County District Attorney Matt Weintraub was quoted by The Washington Post saying, “It saddens me, it sickens me, but it doesn’t surprise me. Because of this guy, he’s the proverbial fox in the henhouse. He was given access to a full family and made them his victims.”
Even though the authorities have knowledge that the 52-year old man sexually abused the six sisters, they are yet to unravel evidence that the man abused the other three sisters.
In contrary to the version of the prosecutor, the attorney of Kaplan, Ryan Hyde said his client has a “familial relationship” with the girls and their parents and that he is “dumbfounded” by the “serious allegations” against him.
Hyde added: “He believes he had a good relationship with the family. He’s asserting his innocence.”
The trial of the case was set to begin on Monday but it has been postponed.
The dad of the girls, 43-year-old Daniel Stoltzfus, told police that he and his wife did “give” his now-18-year-old daughter to Kaplan and that they knew that he was having sex with her. Both parents are charged with endangering the welfare of a child.
According to court documents, the elder girl has two children, one 3-year old and the other nearly 1. The 18-year old also told authorities that Kaplan also kept five of her sisters as his wives.
Hyde, Kaplan’s attorney, said his client’s hope is that “he can still have a chance at a fair trial.”