News

Woman admits Amish girls were kidnapped to make porn

Photo: WHCU


A 26-year-old woman accused of helping her boyfriend abduct and sexually abuse two Amish girls has pleaded guilty to kidnapping charges.

Nicole Vaisey and boyfriend Stephen Howells were charged last year by federal prosecutors with coercing and sexually exploiting the Amish girls and some other children. Both have pleaded guilty to child pornography charges.

Vaisey pleaded guilty to kidnapping Monday in St. Lawrence County Court. She told the judge she drove the car and Howells lured the girls with a puppy.

She faces 25 years in prison. Howells is expected to plead guilty to kidnapping at a later date.

The Amish girls, then 7 and 11, were abducted Aug. 13 from their family’s roadside farm stand in northern New York. They were released the next day.

Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Recent Headlines

8 hours ago in Entertainment

Holiday gifts for movie lovers, from Robert Pattinson nesting dolls to a podcast’s perfume

Let's start with the bad news: That A24 Dior T-shirt that you may have seen on Robert Pattinson and Sabrina Carpenter? It's not for sale. But you know what is? A nesting-doll set featuring Pattinson's A24 movie characters, from "Primetime" and "The Drama" to "The Lighthouse" and "Good Time."

10 hours ago in Education, Entertainment, Local, Sports

Cornell football falls short vs. Princeton

The Big Red failed to stop Princeton's second-half surge.

13 hours ago in Community, Health & Wellness, Lifestyle, Local

Cortland YMCA celebrates new Wellness Center with open house, grand opening

On Nov. 2, the Cortland Y invites guests to use its facilities free of charge.