Washington [US], May 15: With the help of a neighbor, the 18-year-old victim escaped from the suspects' house and reported being locked in a dog cage and abused for years.
USA Today reported on May 15 that a couple in New Jersey (USA) has just been indicted on charges of keeping and abusing a teenage girl for many years in their home under terrible living conditions.
The victim, now 18, escaped from the home of Brenda Spencer, 38, and Brandon Mosley, 41, in Gloucester Township on May 8, according to the Camden County Prosecutor's Office.
The anonymous victim recounted the horrors of life inside the suspects' home, saying she was forced to live in a dog kennel, a locked bathroom and an empty room with an alarm to prevent her from escaping.
"She also reported being beaten with a belt and sexually assaulted by Mr. Mosley," according to a statement from the Camden County Prosecutor's Office.
The victim said the abuse began in 2018, around the time Spencer forced her to leave school in sixth grade.
"She stated that she was then forced to live in a dog kennel for about a year and was occasionally let out," the statement said.
She was then chained in a bathroom and forced to use a bucket instead of a toilet while locked in an empty room. A neighbor helped her escape on May 8.
A search of the residence uncovered squalid conditions and numerous dogs and other animals, according to the prosecutor's office. Investigators also discovered that a 13-year-old girl had also lived in the home, after being pulled out of school by Spencer years earlier.
Prosecutors have not yet released information about the relationship between the victim and the two suspects.
Spencer is unemployed and Mosley is a train conductor. They were arrested at their home on May 11 and charged with kidnapping , aggravated assault, child endangerment and other crimes. Mosley is also charged with sexual assault.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper