A federal judge in Vermont has sentenced a Mennonite pastor to 27 months in prison.

Pastor Kenneth Miller was convicted last summer of helping a woman flee the country rather than share custody of her daughter with her former lesbian partner.

The pastor remains free while he appeals the case. He told the court in a letter that Western society is seeking to re-engineer and redefine marriage.

Lisa Miller and her daughter fled overseas in 2009. Miller is the child's biological mother, but she and her ex-partner had a civil union in Vermont.

Later, Miller became a born-again Christian and left the homosexual lifestyle. That's when her ex-partner sought custody of the child.

Lisa Miller and her daughter are believed to be hiding in Nicaragua. Pastor Miller and Ms. Miller are not related.