Man Married Teenage Stepdaughter Without Divorcing Her Mother, Jailed For Bigamy

A Pennsylvania man was thrown in the prison for marrying his teenage stepdaughter without divorcing his wife.

Christopher I. Hauptmann, 44, who worked as a bail bondsman, pleaded no contest to bigamy and other charges against him, in the Northumberland County Court on Jan. 4. He married Shannon Deitrich, 43, in Florida in November 2015. After 10 months, Hauptmann wed his 18-year-old stepdaughter Kaylee Durovick, Miami Herald reported.

In Pennsylvania, bigamy — getting married to another person without dissolving your first marriage — is a second degree misdemeanor, where the perpetrator can face up to two years in prison, according to Philadelphia Crime Law firm Fienman Defense.

Deitrich testified against Hauptman — who also went by the name Christopher Buckley. He was barred from contacting Deitrich. However, he continues to have a relationship with Durovick. He co-owns the company PA Bail and Recovery in Coal Township with her.

Hauptman used his pseudonym to apply for concealed weapons permit in 2016 — which is when the authorities were made aware of his bigamist intentions. Following growing suspicion about his identity, the sheriff’s deputy noticed that Buckley’s appearance matched with Hauptman. A fingerprint analysis confirmed that both Buckley and Hauptman were the same.

Hauptman had even forged false documents to apply for a new social security number in Snyder County, Pennsylvania. He was incarcerated in Feb. 7, 2017, with bail set at $410,000.

According to PennLive, the man received a prison sentence for a period of one year minus a day to two years minus a day, followed by 10 more years of probation. Apart from the charges of bigamy, the Pennsylvania man also faced charges for forgery, unsworn falsification to authorities and possession of firearms. He was given credit for 332 days that he spent in jail after he was unable to post bail.

Hauptman’s attorney Peter Kay clarified that his client’s plea deal does not mean that he is admitting to his guilt. However, he acknowledged that there was enough evidence to find him guilty of the case.

"There was an opportunity to give him certainty and closure," Kay said, the Daily Item reported. "That's why a lot of these plea agreements happen. He's been sitting a long time in jail." Kay added that Hauptmann was looking forward to “closing this chapter of his life.”

The judge told Hauptman in order to avoid getting resentenced to an extended prison term, he needed to obey his parole and probation officers. "Do what they tell you to do," Judge Paige Rosini said.

Hauptman reportedly had little to say during the trial. At the end of the trial, he thanked his wife for standing by his side and his attorney for doing the best he could. Hauptmann has a previous felony drug conviction in New Jersey under his pseudonym. He was also barred from legally possessing firearms.