A woman in Missouri, allegedly held captive for around a month as a sex slave, was found by police with an electric dog collar around her neck that restricted her breathing and wearing latex lingerie, according to reports.
The unidentified woman had fled the home of the suspect, identified as Timothy M Haslett, 39, of Missouri’s Excelsior Springs city, who was arrested on 7 October.
Mr Haslett, a father of one, is facing first-degree rape and kidnapping as well as second-degree assault charges.
The woman appeared to be weak and frail, likely due to malnourishment. She broke free from the home early on 7 October and approached neighbours for help, alleging she was kidnapped and raped, reported the Kansas City Star newspaper, citing police.
“When we made contact with her, it was readily apparent that she had been held against her will for a significant period of time,” said Excelsior Springs police Lt Ryan Dowdy.
The metal collar was unlocked by police as it restricted the woman’s breathing.
The woman pointed to the home in which she was held captive, according to a probable cause statement from a detective.
She reached out to multiple neighbours for help, who said her voice was feeble like a whisper. They added that she had bruises on her wrist and duct tape hanging around her neck.
Lisa Johnson, a neighbour who saw her, said the 100-pound woman was covered with bruises and struggled to crawl up her porch steps, according to KSHB News.
“She didn’t have much of a voice,” Ms Johnson told the outlet. “It was more of a light ‘help me’ than anything.”
The neighbour called the police as the woman said her alleged abductor would kill them both if they did not get help.
Ciara Tharp, a relative of an elderly neighbour of the woman who heard her screaming and knocking on the door told KSHB that the woman had a ligature mark on her hands.
The woman told the elderly lady: “You have to help me, I’ve been raped, I’ve been held captive.”
“My grandma could tell she was weak,” MsTharp said. “She didn’t have a whole lot of clothes on. She said she had a metal dog collar around her neck and could see the ligature marks around her wrists.”
The woman told police she was picked up from Prospect Avenue in Kansas City in early September.
“He kept her restrained in handcuffs on her wrists and ankles. She was able to get free when he took his child to school,” said the probable cause statement.
The woman told police the suspect “whipped” and raped her “frequently” and kept her in a small room in a basement.
The suspect was due to appear in court on Tuesday afternoon as the police determined if there were other victims. The woman’s statement suggested there could have been other victims who would have been hurt or in danger inside the house.
However, the police did not find other potential victims when they searched the suspect’s house.
In a Facebook post, Clay County Sheriff’s Office said it “will take time to use that information to see if the suspect in this case is connected to any more crimes”.
“And when those things have happened, there will still be very little law enforcement can share until the case goes to court,” it read.
If you have been raped or sexually assaulted, you can contact your nearest Rape Crisis organisation for specialist, independent and confidential support. For more information, visit their website here.
