SPRINGFIELD, Mo (KMOX) - A pair of adult brothers who live in an Amish community in Missouri and admitted to having sex with their younger sister will not being going to prison.
Aaron Schwartz, 22 and Petie Schwartz, 19, of Seymour, Mo pled guilty earlier this month to felony charges of child molestation involving a minor, in connection with events that happened this year and in 2019 with their younger sister, who was only 12- and 13-years-old at the time of the alleged sexual acts, according to the Webster County Citizen.
The report says their two younger brothers, who are both minors, also had sex with their sister and one of the four boys is the father of a child that the sister gave birth to just a few weeks ago. The older Schwartz brothers reportedly told authorities they both had sex with their sister at least six times.
Related
Instead of a 15-year sentence in the Missouri Department of Corrections for the older brothers, Webster County Prosecuting Attorney Ben Berkstresser told the Citizen, they must write apology letters to their community, perform 100 hours of community service and each pay $250 to the Law Enforcement Restitution Fund.
“These two young men would have been eaten alive in the state prison system," Berkstresser told the Citizen. "Previously, I’ve been very harsh on the Amish when they’ve been charged with crimes of this nature.
“But within the Amish community that primarily lives in the Seymour area, (the Amish) don’t see the authority we have to do anything to them. This was a tough case to prosecute."
Berkstresser says the community handed down a "very severe" punishment for all of the Schwartz brothers, but did not explain how.
Both Aaron and Petie Schwartz will be registered sex offenders for life.
He says previously he had a rape case in the Amish community involving a father and daughter, which ended in the father going to prison.