Steven Pladl and his daughter Katie were arraigned Tuesday on charges of sexual incest. (Raleigh/Wake City-County Bureau of Identification)
A North Carolina father and daughter accused of incest that led to a baby boy – and a marriage – were arraigned Tuesday on felony charges of incest and misdemeanor charges of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Steven Pladl, 42, of Knightdale, and Katie Pladl, 20, were arrested Jan. 27 on outstanding “warrants.” They were extradited from their North Carolina home to appear in the Henrico County court in Virginia on Tuesday, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported.
The arrests came after the couple reportedly got married. Their baby boy was born in September.
Steven Pladl was granted a $28,000 bond, on the condition that he remain in Virginia and keep away from Katie. The judge did not rule on bond for Katie Pladl.
The felony incest charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment. The misdemeanor charges can range up to 12 months and come with a $2,500 fine.
Steven Pladl and his wife, Alyssa, reportedly gave up Katie for adoption as an infant but the family reunited in 2016. Pladl and Alyssa divorced in 2017.
Alyssa told The Daily Mail that she was tipped off about the relationship thanks to journal entries written by a younger daughter.
“There are no words to describe the sense of betrayal and disgust I'm feeling,” Alyssa told the outlet last week. “I waited 18 long years to have a relationship with my daughter -- and now he's completely destroyed it.”
Still, one of Pladl’s attorneys, Brittany E. Auberger, told the Times-Dispatch that Pladl already had been incarcerated for around a month.
“Mr. Pladl has no (criminal) record. This is obviously not a violent offense,” Auberger stated.
The next hearing in the case, according to the New York Post, is scheduled for April 23.
