Amish man charged with rape | News, Sports, Jobs

HOUTZDALE – An Amish man has been arrested for allegedly sexually abusing four young girls in Clearfield County.

Simon M. Lee, 34, of Westover, was arraigned Tuesday by state police in District Judge James Glass' office in Houtzdale on nine counts of rape with coercion, 13 counts of rape of a child, eight counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and 16 counts of aggravated sexual assault.

He is being held in the Clearfield County Jail because he cannot post a million dollar bail.

According to court documents, the assaults allegedly began in June 2022 and lasted until August 1 of this year.

According to the probable cause affidavit, the first victim was between 6 and 8 years old, victim two was between 5 and 7 years old, victim three was between 3 and 5 years old, and victim four was between 2 and 4 years old when they were attacked.

The investigation began after one of the victims' fathers reported to police that the four girls had been attacked by Lee at two locations in Burnside Township.

All victims were interviewed at the Clearfield County Child Advocacy Center by a special translator who speaks Pennsylvania Dutch.

The first victim explained that they were playing hide and seek with Lee when it first happened to her. She said he touched her under her clothes and also raped her.

This victim said it happened “frequently,” court documents say. During some of the abuse, she tried to leave, but “he wouldn't let us go.” She confirmed that the others were also victims of Lee's assaults, the report says.

The second victim also stated in her interview that Lee did not let her go while playing hide-and-seek.

“He just held me there and I couldn’t free myself,” she reportedly said.

When asked how often this happened, she reportedly said, “He did it so many times I can't remember” and that he touched her every time she saw him.

Victim three said she had also been sexually abused more than once, the report said.

The fourth victim refused to speak, the affidavit states.

When the parents of two victims were interviewed by investigators, they stated that one of the girls had told them not only about the abuse against her, but also against the other girls. They then spoke to the other girls, who then told them that this was true.

The father confronted Lee, who reportedly “broke down and cried” and begged for forgiveness. He later confessed his sins to a bishop of the church and was shunned for four weeks, according to the indictment.

A preliminary hearing in the case is scheduled for September 11 at 8:30 p.m. at the county jail.