MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Minnesota teenager held captive for 29 days before she escaped and swam in a lake to safety had been repeatedly raped, locked in a closet, bound by zip ties and shoved into a duffel bag during the ordeal.
Charges filed Thursday allege 32-year-old Thomas Barker kidnapped the 15-year-old Aug. 8 by tricking her into thinking he needed help. The girl, who escaped Tuesday, knew Barker as her friend’s dad.
Prosecutors say Barker drove her to a home in rural western Minnesota and sexually assaulted her at gunpoint. Twenty-year-old Steven Powers and 31-year-old Joshua Holby also face charges.
A message left with an attorney for Barker and Holby wasn’t returned. The name of Powers’ attorney wasn’t available.
The Associated Press typically does not name sexual assault victims.
Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
