A Gaston County man, who is the father of a dozen kids by two different women, is now facing even more child abuse charges in Caldwell County.

Last week, Johnny Marlowe pleaded no contest to assaulting his wife and neglecting all 12 kids.

WBTV's Michael Handy found out the latest charges came after Marlowe was accused of circumcising two of his sons.
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Johnny Marlowe remains in the Gaston County jail tonight, but he could be released within the next few weeks. Either way, his legal troubles are far from over now that he's facing felony child abuse charges in Caldwell County.

"Instead of doing this, could we just give me the maximum and let it go," asked Marlowe's at his most recent court appearance.

He pleaded no contest to more than a dozen counts of child neglect and one count of assaulting his wife. "I'd rather just take the maximum and let it go," he said to the judge.

Marlowe made it clear he wanted the whole mess behind him as quickly as possible and his wife Amber was barely able to speak.

She tired to tell the judge that her husband was married to another women at the same time and they all lived together in a very small house.

It is hard to imagine three adults and 12 kids living in the house, but police say that's nothing compared to what happened in Caldwell County.

Marlowe and his two wives lived in Lenoir for several years and during that time Amber says he delivered and then circumcised two of his youngest sons.

Police reports indicate that Marlowe used a utility knife and one of the boys even bled extensively.

The question everyone is asking is, what could motivate a father to deliver and circumcise his own sons?

Well Marlowe says it all started back in 2004 at a Pennsylvania hospital. Doctors there tried to force Amber to have a C-section and that's something Marlowe says he strongly opposes.

Doctors at that Pennsylvania hospital even went to court to try and get legal guardianship of the Marlowe's unborn daughter.

It made national news, but the Marlowe's won the case. Amber gave birth naturally and without complications at another hospital.