Authorities in northern Ohio have arrested three people on charges of enslaving a mentally disabled young mother and her daughter over a two-year period. Bill Rice of Ohio Public Radio Station WCPN in Cleveland reports.
U.S. Attorney Steven Dettlebach says the trio allegedly forced the woman to do housework, denied her and her child basic human needs such as meals and access to bathroom facilities, and threatened them with weapons and attacks by animals including vicious dogs and a python.
U.S. Attorney Stephen Dettlebach calls it a case of modern day slavery.
Dettlebach: “This case is part of a broader effort in this district led by local law enforcement and the FBI to crack down on this kind of modern day slavery, whether it’s sex trafficking, whether it’s labor trafficking, as in this case… this is an effort that we have been working together on at the state, federal, and local levels.”
The suspects, Jordie Callahan, Jessica Hunt and Daniel Brown of Ashland, have been charged with forced labor, and additional charges may be forthcoming.
The case came to light when, in October of last year, the woman stole a candy bar at a store, claiming she did it in order to be arrested.
Neither she nor her daughter, who is reportedly a toddler, have been identified.
The investigation is still ongoing.
