Pastor who aided a former lesbian to flee the U.S. with her daughter pleads guilty in kidnapping case

A Mennonite pastor who helped an ex-lesbian flee from the U.S. with her daughter has pleaded guilty in Buffalo federal court on Wednesday to a charge of conspiracy in international parental kidnapping.

Timothy Miller is facing a recommended sentence of 12 to 18 months in prison, Buffalo News reported. Another defendant named Philip Zodhiates was found guilty last September after a two-week trial.

The pastor was accused of buying the plane tickets for Lisa Miller and her daughter, Isabella, to fly from Toronto to Nicaragua. Timothy, who is unrelated to Lisa, allegedly used his mother-in-law's credit card to pay for the tickets. He reportedly met up with the mother and daughter in Managua and helped them find refuge in the country.

Lisa fled the U.S. after a federal judge threatened that the custody of Isabella would be transferred to her ex-parter Janet Jenkins if she does not allow her to visit the child.

According to a report from Christian News, Jenkins and Lisa were joined in a civil union in Vermont in 2000. Lisa was able to give birth to Isabella in 2002 through an artificial insemination procedure from a male donor.

The lesbian couple split up in 2003 due to continued tensions in their relationship. Lisa reportedly became a Christian afterward and renounced homosexuality. Isabella remained in her custody, but the court granted visitation rights to Jenkins.

Lisa testified in court that Isabella was traumatized by her visits with Jenkins. She claimed that the girl, who was six years old at the time, was forced to take baths with Jenkins and was touching herself inappropriately. She also said that Isabella occasionally talked about suicide.

She filed for exclusive custody of Isabella which the court granted, but Jenkins challenged the ruling and was awarded visitation rights in 2008. A family court granted full custody to Jenkins after Lisa continued to refuse her from visiting the child. By the time the transfer order was issued, Lisa had already fled the country.

Ken Miller, another Mennonite pastor who also helped Lisa escape, was sentenced to 27 months in prison in 2012.