Two brothers who admitted to having sexual acts with their younger sister have avoided jail time as prosecutors feared they would ‘be eaten alive’ in prison.
Petie Schwartz, 18, and Aaron Schwartz, 22, pleaded guilty to two counts of third-degree child molestation with a person under the age of 14.
Aaron, Petie, and two of their younger brothers who were minor at that time had sex with their younger sister, according to the Webster County Citizen.
The Amish brothers received a 10-year sentence in the Missouri Department of Corrections on the first count and a 5-year sentence for another account.
However, their plea deal allowed the suspension of their sentences.
The deal also allowed the brothers to be on probation and avoid prison time if they complete the Missouri Sex Offender Treatment program.
They must write an apology letter to Seymour’s Amish community and complete 100 hours of community service. In addition, they must pay $250 to the Law Enforcement Restitution Fund.
Webster County Prosecuting Attorney Ben Berkstresser also said that he was aware that the pair’s punishment would seem lax. “It needs to be noted that in this case, there were four brothers, two of them minors, while the other two legally are adults,” he said.
“All of them had sexual relations with their sister. There is no question this occurred.”
Berkstresser explained: “In the end, this wasn’t a case of a parent and child, where a parent in a position of authority sexually abused or exploited their child.
“This was a situation where four siblings engaged in acts with their sister. I offered a 15-year prison sentence based on this … it was a different relationship.
“And I made the decision not to send them to the DOC, to suspend the sentences.”
He added: “These two young men would’ve been eaten alive in the state prison system.”
The brothers will be registered sex offenders for life.
“One of the brothers is the father of this child,” Berkstresser said of the 13-year-old girl’s baby. “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.”
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