Father and Biological Daughter Charged With Incest After Allegedly Having a Child Together
Father and Biological Daughter Charged With Incest After Allegedly Having a Child Together
A North Carolina father and his biological daughter were charged with incest after investigators alleged that the two had a child together following a reunion years after she had been placed for adoption as an infant.
Steven Pladl, 42, and his daughter, Katie Pladl, 20, were arrested in 2018 in connection with the alleged relationship. Both faced charges of incest, adultery and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, according to court records cited by PEOPLE.
Steven and his then-wife had placed Katie for adoption when she was an infant. The couple remained together and had two other daughters. Years later, when Katie turned 18 in 2016, she reportedly located her biological father through social media and eventually moved into the family home in Richmond, Virginia.
According to court documents, investigators alleged that Steven and Katie began a sexual relationship after she moved in. The pair allegedly had a son in September 2017 and later married, according to the report.
The case came to authorities’ attention after Steven’s former wife reportedly discovered an entry in Katie’s journal suggesting she was pregnant with her biological father’s child. She notified police, prompting an investigation into the alleged relationship.
Court records indicated that Steven had posted a $1 million bond and was released at the time of the report, while Katie remained in custody awaiting extradition to Virginia, where the alleged relationship had developed.
The case drew attention because of the circumstances surrounding their reunion and the serious allegations involving a parent and child. At the time, both faced potential prison sentences if convicted of the incest charges.
The case later took a tragic turn. In 2018, Steven Pladl killed Katie, their infant son and Katie’s adoptive father before dying by suicide, according to subsequent reporting. The earlier incest charges had not yet gone to trial before the killings.
Source: PEOPLE
