MARSHFIELD, Mo. -- There's a major disagreement in Webster County over how to punish a man charged with a sex crime against a child in the Amish community. Johnny Schwartz, 36, faces six charges, including statutory sodomy and statutory rape, involving two underage female relatives. His wife is also been charged because she's accused of knowing about the alleged incest and not telling police.

Punishment for the crime pits religious tradition and current law. The Webster County sheriff met with members of the Amish community on Friday to discuss their disagreement.

"It was a room of probably 60 adult men, Amish, and each of them will have to make the decision on their own," said Sheriff Roye Cole.

The decision, Cole told the Amish men from their community near Seymour and Diggins, is whether to report child abuse to the outside world.

"It's against their nature; that is not what they want to do. They feel they should handle the law religiously, and they should shun them, and I think that's perfectly acceptable, but that doesn't solve it, and that doesn't answer all the questions we need answered," said Cole.

It was an outsider who overheard talk of the crime for which Johnny Schwartz is charged, and the sheriff warned, if it happens again, the county prosecuting attorney will be quick to charge.

"They know now, and we know they know, and I think that's the first step -- knowing they have to report," said Cole. "They never yelled, they listened. It's very obvious they care about their children, and they're very good people, but they do play by their own rules."

As for what happens next, the sheriff says he'll continue to follow up with the community to make sure they remember their legal obligations.