A judge found sufficient evidence to charge ten Americans with child kidnapping and criminal association Thursday, their lawyer Edwin Coq said.

They were arrested last Friday near the Dominican Republic after Haitian officials caught them trying to cross the border with 33 Haitian children.

One of the missionary group members, Laura Silsby, said the group wanted to take the abandoned children to an orphanage in the Dominican Republic.  She admits her group did not get permission from Haitian officials.

Most of the Americans were quickly taken from the closed court hearing to jail.  Silsby waved, but would not answer reporters’ questions. 

There will not be an open trial under Haiti’s legal system, Coq said.  A judge will consider the evidence and may render a verdict in about three months, Coq explained.

The Austrian-run SOS Children’s Village in Port-Au-Prince is now caring for the children.  They range in age from 2 to 12 years old.