A couple from the city of Gloucester, New Jersey, is said to have held a teenage prisoner and abused it for seven years before escaped, what authorities describe as “contemptible” and “heartbreaking” case.
The 38 -year -old Brenda Spencer and the 41 -year -old Brandon Mosley were arrested over the weekend, days after the victim, Spencer’s daughter, escaped their home.
The teenager, who has already been 18, has been allegedly abused since 2018, when she was removed from school before he started seventh grade and was restricted to his home, said Camden Grace K. Macauly County at a press conference on Wednesday.
The removal of the victim from the school “helped to hide the abominable, long -standing torture” that she suffered, the prosecutor said.
The couple has been charged with several issues, including abduction, aggravated attack, threatening the welfare of allegations of children and weapons, staff said. Mosley, who worked as a train conductor, also sexually abused the victim who had a belt. He has been charged with several allegations of sexual assault.
CNN is trying to determine if the defendants have a legal representation.
The victim was forced to live in a dog crate for about a year and was only released periodically. She told police that she had later been held in a padlock while she was chained and was only released when the family visited, staff said.
At other times, she was forced to live in a room only with a bathroom bucket. The room was equipped with an alarm system that would warn Spencer and Mossley described as the victim’s stepmother if she tried to leave.
Authorities do not reveal details of the victim’s escape, except that this happened on May 8. A neighbor who initially called 211 for crisis intervention before contacting 911 helped report the abuse of law enforcement, McAlay said.
Prosecutor Grace K. McAlay spoke during a press conference in Kamden, New Jersey, May 14 – News New Jersey LLC
Police first contacted the victim after she escaped from home, but she did not reveal the abuse then, said the head of the Gloucester David Harcins police.
The victim indicated that he was disagreeing with his father and was looking for services for homeless. Authorities offered her the domestic violence services she refused, the chief said. Employees made a “restricted” search of the home, although no arrests were made at the time. The victim does not seem to have returned to the home after initial contact with the police.
Later in demand for the home found that the victim was forced to live in “poor” conditions with many animals, including dogs and chinchillas, employees said.
“What this young woman survived was absolutely horrifying,” McAlay said, adding that she was “extremely happy” to escape.
Authorities have not developed the victim’s physical or mental state after her escape, citing confidentiality against the background of the investigation.
“As you can imagine, anyone who has been closed for a period of seven years kept in these conditions living in poor dirt will be damaged by psychological, physically, emotionally, mental, and as you can also evaluate when it comes to cases of children and abuse of children and sexual assault, the confidence of the victim,” is of primary importance. “
The victim’s 13-year-old sister also lived in the home and was taken out of school years earlier. The younger girl was also at home, she said.
In New Jersey, guardians should notify only the school neighborhood of the intention of children from the home and are not required to confirm attendance, minimum training time, subjects or tests, McAlay explained.
“Home training can be the right choice for many families. Unfortunately, it can be used by others as a means of hiding abuse,” the prosecutor said. “Certainly this case proves that it is necessary to update and review these laws.”
Both the victim and her sister are already safe, the prosecutor said, without providing further details of his location.
For Friday, a hearing is scheduled to hold Spencer and Mosley.
Other victims of a long -term captivity
A woman’s escape to New Jersey comes months after a man in Waterbury, Connecticut, uses a printer paper and a hand disinfectant to escape from his stepmother after 20 years, authorities said.
Most cases of long-term captivity in Peris, California, where a couple was sentenced to a prison to their 13 children-unique in their bizarreness, but the victims of these cases of high profile seem to be recovering in surprisingly large ways.
Jacey Dugard, who was abducted when she was 11 years old and wore two children in 18 years in captivity, before she was found, has ever written two books about her life after captivity.
Elizabeth Smart, who was kidnapped in her bedroom when she was 14 years old, is now sought after an activist for the safety of children, who founded the foundation of the same name, focused on sexual crimes and internet crimes against children.
This story has been updated with additional details.
For more CNN news and newsletters, create an account at CNN.com