Prosecutors will be able to tell jurors about alleged sexual "counseling" of Amish wives by a man charged with masterminding beard- and hair-cutting attacks on fellow Amish in Ohio, a federal judge ruled on Monday.

It means testimony about Samuel Mullet Sr.'s sexual activities with married women will be allowed during a trial scheduled to start next week, The Plain Dealer in Cleveland reported.

Prosecutors had outlined the strategy in a legal brief in the case of 16 Amish defendants accused of forcibly cutting the beards and hair of Amish men and women in September, October and November of last year, then taking photos to shame them.

The government said alleged sexual "counseling" of wives by Mullet shows the control he had over followers at their eastern Ohio farm complex. It said based on that, the jury can conclude Mullet was aware of the attacks and approved.

The newspaper reported prosecutors said several women plan to testify about having sexual relations with Mullet.