The groom, Aaron Seaton, also of Ashton, had already pleaded guilty to felony injury to a child. Seaton admitted to having a sexual relationship with the underaged girl and getting her pregnant. He was sentenced to up to 15 years in prison, with three years fixed and 12 years indeterminate.

Once the pregnancy occurred, court documents show that Strawn and Seaton’s family drove to Missouri, where underage marriage is legal, and the pair were wed. The couple lived together for about four months before the girl returned to Idaho and her mother filed for an annulment. The girl also later suffered a miscarriage.

According to court records, Strawn arranged for the marriage because he grew up believing that, if a man gets a woman pregnant, he ought to marry her. Strawn says he’s since changed his mind.

During the sentencing hearing, Judge Moeller responded to recommendations from Fremont County Prosecutor Karl Lewies that called for 10 days in jail and three years of probation for Strawn. That recommendation was endorsed by Strawn’s attorney, Douglas Knutson, by giving the defendant 120 days in jail.

“That amount of days is certainly more reflective of the serious nature of your bad judgement,” Moeller told Strawn. “I would note that the 120 days is approximately how long this vile farce of a marriage lasted. While you sit in jail, you will sit and think about the 120 days your daughter was in a vile farce of a marriage to a rapist because of you.”

Knutson told the court that prior to the marriage — after Strawn learned of his daughter’s pregnancy — Strawn contacted the girl’s mother, who he said suggested an abortion. Neither Strawn nor his daughter liked that idea and decided to have the girl and Seaton marry, according to the defense attorney.

“Are you suggesting that he took his 14 going on 15-year-old daughter to another state to get married for religious reasons?” Moeller asked.

Knutson reported that the father researched places where underage girls could marry and opted for Missouri. The victim’s mother didn’t learn about the marriage until after the daughter married Seaton. She later moved to annul the marriage.

Knutson said that the Strawn family made the wrong decision when trying to help the couple.

“People do make dumb decisions in rubber stamping what couples want to do in these situations,” Knutson said.

The defense attorney told the court that his client told the victim several times that she didn’t have to go through with the marriage.

Prosecutor Lewies asked if the rapist’s family would have agreed to the marriage had the victim been under 14.

“What if she was 12 years old? Is 13 years old OK? Where do you draw that line? Is that OK — 14 years old? That’s ridiculous. He was way out of bounds, your honor,” Lewies said.

Strawn knew his daughter had been a victim of statutory rape, the prosecutor said.

“Instead of contacting law enforcement, he hopped in the car with the rapist and the rapist’s family and drove halfway across the United States to Missouri,” Lewies said.

The victim and Seaton met after their respective families became acquainted through work. Eventually, family members noticed that the two developed a romantic relationship. Shortly after, the victim became pregnant.

“Clearly, your daughter underwent great bodily harm based on some of your choices,” Judge Moeller told Strawn. “When you’re dealing with a man 10 years older than your daughter, and she’s only 14 — that defies all common sense and all decency. This isn’t naiveté. This is just wrong thinking.”