New York man pleads guilty to sexually exploiting Amish sisters

By Matthew Liptak NEW YORK (Reuters) - A New York state man pleaded guilty on Friday to federal charges of sexually exploiting two Amish sisters, ages 12 and 7, abducted last summer from a roadside farm stand near the Canadian border as well as four other young children. Stephen Howells II, 39, pleaded guilty to 21 criminal counts in U.S. federal court in Syracuse. He previously had pleaded not guilty in the case. Howells and his girlfriend, Nicole Vaisey, both from Hermon, New York, are accused of kidnapping the two sisters from the rural Amish community of Oswegatchie and then sexually exploiting them to make child pornography. He also pleaded guilty to abusing four other children as young as age 5 between December 2012 and August 2014, and producing child pornography. Howells and Vaisey also face kidnapping charges in state court. Howells on Friday agreed with Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa Fletcher's statement that he pretended to be a customer at the sister's family farm stand and managed to inject one of the sisters with a sedative after abducting them. Howells, a father of three and former registered nurse, used his professional connections to receive prescription drugs to subdue his victims, authorities said. He faces from 15 to 30 years in prison for some of the charges. Sentencing for Howells was set for Sept. 18. Vaisey is scheduled to stand trial separately next month. The Amish, a conservative Protestant denomination, are known for their simple dress and avoiding modern technology and conveniences. (Editing by Laila Kearney and Will Dunham)