Two young Amish sisters who were abducted Wednesday and who reappeared after 24 hours have been sexually abused before they were released.

District Attorney Mary Rain of St. Lawrence District made the disclosure at the same time that the county's sheriff' was stating that the couple, Stephen Howell Jr. and Nicole Vaisey, were prowling for easy targets and could have been planning to abduct other children.

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Howell and Vaisey were arrested Friday and arraigned on kidnapping charges, after the Amish sisters, aged 7 and 12, were abducted "with the intent to physically or sexually abuse them," says Sheriff Kevin Wells of St. Lawrence County.  

The sisters were abducted from a roadside farm stand in front of their home in Oswegatchie near the Canadian border.

Sheriff Wells said they felt there was a "definite potential" that the couple were planning to kidnap other children.

"There was a lot of thought process that went into this," Wells said. "They were looking for opportunities to victimize."

Wells said the girls were able to provide details about their time while in captivity, which can be used to pin responsibility on the two suspects.

Howell and Vaisey are being held without bail, with a preliminary court appearance set for Thursday. The couple could face a sentence of 25 years to life in prison if found guilty.

Meanwhile, little is known about Howell and Vaisey, whom neighbors described as boyfriend and girlfriend. On Facebook, Howell had posted pictures of three other children that neighbors said lived in their house. It was not clear whether they were Howell's or Vaisey's children.

Because of the episode, the local Amish community have taken precautions to prevent similar abductions, and many of the families have decided to take down their roadside stands where they sell agricultural produce.

Patricia Ritchie, the state senator representing the region, said many are now reluctant to let their children play outdoors unattended.

District Attorney Mary Rain said one thing "that comes from this is that people learn this can happen in a small town."

"I think the public will take precautions, and that's the sad thing," the prosecutor said. 

TagsAmish, Kidnapping, St. Lawrence