Anyone that knows me personally knows how much I love the Amish. In a heartbreaking moment this week I read that an Indiana Amish man has been arrested for sending 600 text messages along with lewd images to a 12 year old girl.
If I have understood correctly the Amish have not partaken in the latest of technology for years, let alone know how to text. How could this possibly happen? Was this a steam powered cell phone- or was it left over from an Amish Rumpspringa? When I think of phones for the Amish all I can think of is two cans and a string.
On June 15th Willard Yoder, 26, entered a not guilty plea for four counts of child solicitation after being arrested June 15. Yoder had initially dialed this young girl at random and although the texting was innocent at first he eventually asked her for a “if this buggy is a rockin-don't come a knockin" moment. After many texts Yoder finally told her that he was a 21-year-old Amish man and the young girl's cell phone was immediately relinquished to her mother.
The mother, pretending to be her daughter, repeatedly told Yoder how old her child was. After nonstop phone calls she finally gave the cell to the Indiana State Police. They found at least 600 sent text messages including requests for photos as well as video and photos of Yoder. After a sting was set up he was finally arrested. Yoder said that he had just dialed the random number hoping to have a conversation with someone.
Having visited Intercourse, PA. a few times I was told never to take pictures of the Amish because it is an unacceptable act of pride for them. I have always believed that the Amish were above all ordinary people who simply chose a different way of life. So someone please enlighten me as to what happened to this man? I have read that many Amish now have a phone in the barn for their businesses and apparently cell phones have now replaced the landlines. But isn’t texting while driving a horse drawn buggy illegal?
I am positive that Yoder will also be punished severely by his own people in addition to whatever the courts rules. Had this crime happened on Amish property Mr. Yoder would have faced a council and been shunned. When you are Amish you never ever break the code of silence and report it to the police. In doing research for this piece there is an article called “Amish Deception” which tells the sad tales of Amish children who are abused by adults. The length of the punishment for molesting a child is usually excommunication by the church for ninety days and the guilty are never arrested.
Is it possible that Mr. Yoder thought he might be able to get away with his crime due to lax punishments in the Amish closed community? This is nothing but tragic and is just another example of someone living in a repressed society. As for the young girl I hope she has learned that sometimes a cell phone can be a dangerous thing. Thank goodness she was not hurt.
Text: Linda Seccaspina
Image of Yoder by The Smoking Gun
Other Amish Images by Linda Seccaspina
Article first published as Amish Man Arrested for a "Weiner Moment" with a Minor on Technorati.
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Comments
As to this Yoder---Yutz is a more apt name.
Rated.
Neilpaul: Education for girls is grade 8 and I do believe they can start to marry at age 13. I know it is common place now but this really made my eyes pop out for many reasons.
Larry: Tink has a cell??
Jonathan: I read it and he also wrote the article Amish Deception.
Pretty damn sad. I had NO idea.
Zanelle: I always held the Amish sacred. Not anymore.
Catherine: I imagine if you had bought the name a month ago you must have sold the rights to your go daddy site hahaha
No one is immune to human frailty. Every community has members who have illnesses both physical, mental and spiritual. His use of technology brought it out in the open. If he had not used technology whatever precipitated this act would have inspired another one within his closed community and we wouldn't know about it.
Mimetalker: You are so right
Unbrakable: Exactly it was like finding out Santa Claus was not real.. Then I started reading all this documentation about former crimes and I was on the floor.
Attitudes are changing and now even the young feel safe in telling the truth. The girl felt no shame in telling her mom, the mother jumped on it instead of hushing her and now one more perp has been exposed. There was a time a girl like that wasn't free to tell what happened to her. The times they are a changin'.
I have to say, I am glad he just confessed and didn't try to get away with it. I am disturbed that it took 600 text messages before anything was said to her parents, although I understand kids are not that responsible either. I suspect he has the same impulses of all 21 year old men, and very little social or cultural guidance. My aunt worked to be the legal guardian of many kids under care of CPS, and she noted that many of the immigrant families did not either recognize rape/molestation as a public (police) issue, but also expected that they should be able to "take care of it" among themselves. Which usually meant nothing happened. This is how it really is in most of the world, sad, but not unusual.
What's with having two creepy old men after young girl stories in two days? ???
You are so right.
Bleue: They certainly are.
Oryoki. 600 texts and video.. I fear with young kids and cell phones.
I always like to talk about oddities. Sad to say this week the news has been filled with it. Lots of things going on in my life and I guess I need to write and write about other things to assume some normalcy in mine.. if I can.
Rita: When I was doing research for this.. you would be shocked to see what has been hidden in the Amish communities. I always held them high in my eyes and now not so much.
Just Cathy: Those last three words of yours said it all.
Major: I live in a rose coloured glasses world sometimes.
Oryoki: Jail time for someone like that is wrong and I agree with you.
Since I have no cell phone nor know how to text to me it was a lot.:)
rated with love
Romantic Poetess: Just like myself and I wish it wasn't a pool table.:)
Too many of these yucks are coming out of the woodwork these days and they are disgusting. There are "kinky" outlets for this kinda stuff and everything imaginable..wish they would stick to their own kind nd leave children alone!!
Cindy: Kids with phones.. kids with everything.. it just scares me. I know yours have listened to Grandma Cindy:)
Miguela: I am obsessed with the Amish.. always have been. Everytime I see them I try to talk to them hahah. They say I know more about them than they do. Yes the Rumpspringa and amazingly they all come back. The Amish photographed here was in upstate NY. They are around the Watertown area.
Geezerchick: exactly..
Dianaani: they have to sell those quilts somehow..:) BUt yeah.. huge trouble
Abandoned Prayers by Gregg Olsen is a pretty graphic book about a murder involving Amish folk.
I hear he referred to his offending member as “Jezeriah”.
"Don't come a-knockin" ...now that would be funny to see that bumper sticker on an Amish buggy : )
On another note, I really wanted to run away to the Amish when I was a kid...clearly not as innocent as I was hoping that world would be.
Even so, modern crime is no stranger to the Amish community.
Can you hear me now???
R
One Willow Tree stick as 'Y'
and you got a sling-shot too.
`
War.
`
Pentagon kills
Deaths pillars
Drones bomb
Nasty drones
Male lazy bee.
`
Have mercy
Don Gates just was awarded a "Liberty Award" for slaughter and bloodletting
Broadcasting
Death's misery
DoD Gates huh
St Pedro may
say
`
No vacancy
Go lizard
and craw`
`
True Story- In PA a German Baptist (they sport a beard, but shave the upper lip.
Why? Nazi.
It's goofy.
`
The German Baptist sells fruit packaging, does serious greenhouse plant flats,
and sells wholesale.
My son and visited.
Hoop houses sales.
He has a 'quiver' (his words) of children 8? and sells many agriculture products.
He a serious wholesaler.
He was accused of unlawful sex.
My son thought he was spoofing.
He violated some younger woman.
I don't know the details. He shared.
He said in the Old Testament ? duh?
?
Scripture records the daughters of men
come down to earth to enjoy good sex.
I swear he told us that. I don't know?
I rarely see this agrarian. He's kooky?
He molest someone in Sunday School?
I sweat the human race is weird as can be?
People can't discern rubbish thought too?
Disillusioned? Passion misplaced. Wacky!
I last heard the German Baptist was Amish.
He converts? tease. He was in a Amish Clinic.
The Amish may be able to help Capital Hill [e]?
I doubt that. As the German Baptist might say`
`
Politicos etc., warmonger and Wall Street etc.,
Horny streaker, and all who sick-o have done
gone the path of flesh. But I love flesh. Woe.
Nature has me 1/2 wino and no bring honey.
Maybe if I hug, hold, or have a woman? woe?
I have no answers. If I think too much I drink.
I fear I may make love-whine howl at a Moon.
I know the story was Mennonite/Amish scandal
Maurene: Oh I now you are right. I have always loved them so much because I thought they were pure.
Diary: I do believe it shall come to pass.
Razzle: That's me though. So much ugliness in the world now I try to find the good.
Just Thinking: You mentioned the knocking yesterday hahaha It inspired me.. I always wanted to live on the edge of an Amish town and bake cherry pies :)
(...happy to inspire any time...)
(...happy to inspire any time...)
Bobbot: So clever...
Cranky: Well I guess I found out.
Susie: How do they charge them?
Mhold: I swear that is all I could think of was two tin cans and a string.
Toth: Just teh same as if he worked at an embassy?:)
Just thinking: I have one..:)
I get those daily POP-UPS - The Open Salon Pop-Up informs me that someone who is not sympatico is on my site - The Pop-Up ask `
`
Should we send email and risk your private information? I say it's probably Kerry?
Who does know?
`
People ger indiscrete, jaundice, flux, chicken pox, droopsie, purple skin, smallpox, intestinal bloating, sandman eyes, worms, scurvy, and Kerry?
Venereal disease?
Black front EP teeth?
Folks get neurotic.
After death, they rot.
We Pop- UP
We Pop DOWN
Hopefully not with an upside down frown.:)
I am not ready for the Amish to suck
we must protect the children
they are precious
note: Linda, may your text always be as limber
as this one; ready to wrastle
Jerry: I got a comment from an Amish girl on another site. Obviously she is on rumpspringa or who knows? She told me not to lump them all together which I would not and some have phones and some do not.
In upper NY state and your area they do not. I guess it depends where they are. Still very good people.
Christine: I scour for the obscure so I can feel like my life is normal these days.
Little Willie: I am singing that song while I crack my whip.
Ume: i will try for another WWE performance.:)
Abrawang: sure shocked the heck out of me.
Chrissie: Obviously there is a lot we do not know about that goes on.
What? :D
What? You mean...ooh..."Hey honey, we have to get a divorce or something!! Yeah, I think we'll still be cousins!! Hahaha, who am I kidding, we'll still be brother and sister!!"
Teeheehee!! :D
~wanders off~
♥R
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