Attorneys for accused mom in Bucks case: Hold off on judging
"Anybody can be arrested - your friends, your neighbors, your family, or even you - but it doesn't mean you're guilty."
"Anybody can be arrested - your friends, your neighbors, your family, or even you - but it doesn't mean you're guilty."
So on Wednesday proclaimed attorneys for Savilla Stoltzfus, the jailed mother of a teenage woman found living in a Bucks County home with a man accused of raping and fathering children with her.
Hers were the first public comments made on behalf of either parent involved in the unusual case.
Stoltzfus, 42, of Quarryville, Lancaster County, was arrested last week along with her husband, Daniel, on charges of child endangerment.
They told authorities that they "gifted" their then-14-year-old daughter, now 18, to Kaplan in gratitude for his having helped save their farm from financial ruin.
In addition to the 18-year-old's two children, nine other girls were living in the house, and the Stoltzfuses say all are their daughters.
"Until all the facts are in, we ask that the court of public opinion hold its judgment of our client as well. Stay tuned," read the statement, issued by Montgomery County lawyers Cary B. Hall and Alexander G. Tuttle.
Savilla Stoltzfus spent most of her time living in the Feasterville home with Kaplan and the girls, according to Robert Hoopes, director of public safety for Lower Southampton Township.
The ages for eight of the nine girls are 17, 15, 13, 10, 8, 7, 5, and 3, according to the Bucks County District Attorney's Office.
Kaplan, 51, was arrested on statutory rape and other charges.
No attorneys are listed for Daniel Stoltzfus or Kaplan. Savilla Stoltzfus' attorneys are not representing her husband.
No other charges were pending for the three adults, authorities said. Investigators did not find immediate evidence of abuse of the other girls after questioning them Monday but said they planned to question them again in two or three weeks.
Police have not found reason to believe the arrangement involved people beyond Kaplan and the Stoltzfus family, Hoopes said Tuesday.
Investigators continue to piece together the relationships among Kaplan, the females, and the Stoltzfuses.
Police have said it could take weeks before more is known about what transpired in the house on Old Street Road. District Attorney David Heckler stressed Tuesday that the investigation was not yet completed.
The nine children are staying at a "safe house" in Lancaster County until Children and Youth Services places them in a home, Hoopes said. He was not sure whether the 18-year-old and her two children were with them.
A child-welfare hearing was held in Bucks County Court on Tuesday. Hearings are scheduled for the three adults next week.
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