New Jersey teenager rescued from dog cage after years of sexual abuse.
A couple from New Jersey has been charged with heinous crimes, including kidnapping and aggravated assault, after allegedly holding an 18-year-old girl captive in their Gloucester Township home. The arrests were made following the girl’s escape on May 8, according to a release from Camden County prosecutors.
Brenda Spencer, 38, and Branndon Mosley, 41, now face multiple criminal charges linked to the prolonged abuse of the young woman, who was reportedly subjected to severe mistreatment and living in deplorable conditions. In addition to kidnapping and endangering the welfare of a child, Mosley has been charged with several counts of sexual assault.
Prosecutors revealed that the alleged abuse began in 2018 when the teenage girl was removed from school by Spencer after she was in the sixth grade. Reports indicate that the girl endured a year of her captivity in a dog crate. Further aggravating her situation, she claimed that she was later confined to a padlocked bathroom, restrained with chains, and only temporarily released during visits from family members.
Additional details provided by prosecutors depict a harrowing existence for the victim. At various times, she was forced to live in a bare room equipped solely with a bucket for sanitation. She reportedly sustained physical abuse, including being beaten with a belt, and was kept under surveillance by an alarm system that alerted her captors should she attempt to escape.
Law enforcement officials were alerted to the situation after the victim managed to escape, aided by a neighbor. Upon her release, authorities met her at a nearby Wawa convenience store for immediate support. During their investigation, detectives discovered a second teenage girl, aged 13, living in similarly squalid conditions alongside numerous animals in the couple’s residence. This second victim had also been taken out of school years before, further compounding the alarming nature of the situation.
Both Spencer and Mosley were arrested on Sunday. The specific nature of the relationship between the parties involved remains unclear. As for their backgrounds, Spencer is reportedly unemployed, while Mosley held a position as a train conductor for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the case, which has raised significant public concern regarding the safety and welfare of vulnerable individuals.