18-year-old girl escapes from New Jersey home where she was allegedly forced to live in dog crate and abused
A New Jersey couple has been charged after an 18-year-old escaped their residence and said she was forced to live in a dog crate for a year, given a bucket to use as a bathroom and severely abused over a seven-year span.
Brenda Spencer, 38, and Branndon Mosley, 41, of Gloucester Township, were charged with kidnapping and Mosley with additional counts of sexual assault, The Camden County Prosecutor's Office and Gloucester Township Police announced Wednesday.
The 18-year-old female, who officials described as the daughter of Spencer and step-daughter of Mosley, had escaped the home on May 8, assisted by a neighbor, prosecutors and police said in a news release. The abuse was then reported to police on Saturday.
The victim said Spencer and Mosley had abused her since 2018.
Around that time, she was removed from school when she was in the sixth grade 'at Spencer's discretion and confined to her home,' officials said.
The victim said shortly after she was pulled out of school, she was 'forced to live in a dog crate for approximately one year and was let out periodically,' the release said.
Later, she was forced to live in a padlocked bathroom and was chained up. She told police she would be let out of the bathroom when family visited the home. At other times she lived in a bare room with a bucket to use as a toilet.
The victim told police the room had an alarm system that would 'alert Spencer and Mosley if she tried to leave.'
The victim also reported being beaten with a belt and sexually abused by Mosley, officials stated.
Gloucester Township Police Chief David Harkins told reporters Wednesday it was 'one of the most despicable cases we've run across.'
He said that police responded on May 8 to Wawa and met with the teen and took a statement from her. She described the situation as a domestic violence case but did not disclose the full scope of the abuse, Harkins said. She was offered domestic violence services, which she declined at the time. Police were called again on Saturday night, when the full story came out.
Detectives searched the home and found the victim lived in 'squalid conditions' crammed with numerous Great Dane large dogs, chinchillas and other animals.
A 13-year-old child also lived in the home and was removed from school years prior at Spencer's discretion, and both girls were allegedly homeschooled, the release said.
Camden County Prosecutor Grace C. MacAulay did not disclose specific details of how the girl escaped or her captivity.
"Anyone who's been confined for a period of seven years, held in these conditions, living in squalid filth, is going to be damaged, psychologically, physically, emotionally, mentally, and as you also can appreciate, when it comes to cases involving child endangerment and child abuse and sexual assault, confidentiality to protect the victims is paramount. So we're limited in all the details," she said.
Harkins said police had no indication about child abuse going on at the home, but had some animal complaints in the past.
Spencer was unemployed and Mosley worked for Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) as a train conductor. He was one of the employees honored by SEPTA in March, described as a train engineer.
Spencer and Mosley were both charged Sunday with kidnapping, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, five counts of aggravated assault, endangering the welfare of a child — abuse/neglect, criminal restraint, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and unlawful possession of a weapon.
Mosley was further charged with two counts of first-degree aggravated sexual assault, two counts of second-degree sexual assault and one count of endangering the welfare of a child — sexual contact.
They were arrested at their home on Sunday and remanded to the Camden County Correctional Facility pending detention hearings set for Friday. A public defender listed for the couple declined to comment on the case.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Five common mistakes that let criminals hack your online accounts
Attacks on British retailers like Marks & Spencer have highlighted how mistakes can let cybercriminals into online accounts with devastating consequences. M&S announced on Tuesday it had finally reopened its website weeks after a cyberattack in April that the company blamed on 'human error' and it said it would cost around £300m. The government's cybersecurity breaches survey, published earlier this year, found 43% of businesses had suffered a security breach in the last 12 months. But even for ordinary people, it's still very possible to make mistakes that can lead to criminals gaining access to your account - and then using your details for identity theft or stealing money. Research by the Global Anti-Scam Alliance found that 10% of Brits had lost money to scams or identity theft in 2023. Yahoo News spoke to security expert Truman Kain, a security researcher at cybersecurity firm Huntress, about the common mistakes people make - including one which almost all of us have never even thought about. In security questions on online accounts such as banking, people often put their real mother's maiden name or the name of a first pet. But this is a mistake, Kain explains - and instead you should make up a fake name, because hackers can potentially use a security question to reset accounts and gain access, and such information is often easy to find out. Kain said: 'Security questions are a relic. When used as originally intended, they aren't security, they're trivia that hackers already know. "Think of it this way: if you had to, could you answer your friend's security questions? Yes? Well, so could a hacker. Attackers can typically guess or find your answers to common security questions on your social media or elsewhere online. 'This is how accounts can get taken over even if you do have a strong password. So, treat security questions like passwords… lie! Generate and save fake answers to security questions with a password manager. Never assume that your real answers to security questions are private.' Browsers such as Chrome commonly offer the option to save passwords, which can be highly convenient for users - but using this is a mistake. So are other common ways of storing passwords like notes apps, Word documents or spreadsheets, says Kain. 'Lots of people store passwords in places they shouldn't: these are a problem, because they can all be quickly scraped by malware or someone with access to your device," Kain says. For example, if your PC gets a virus, it can be easy for criminals to find passwords stored in this way. Instead, Kain advises, you should use a separate password manager app on your PC or smartphone, and generate strong passwords using the app. Kain said: 'If you care about your accounts, use a dedicated password manager. It's the simplest way to keep your accounts secure. Storing passwords anywhere else is like locking your front door and then leaving the key under the doormat. Reusing passwords offers an easy way to log in, for example, when forced to create a password to order on a pub's menu. But if you use one password across a lot of accounts, it's only a matter of time before it leaks online, says Kain, due to the frequency of data breaches. Kain said: 'By reusing passwords, you're basically playing Russian roulette. A breach at some random site, at any point in the future, can hand attackers the keys to your most important accounts. 'They'll turn right around and plug those credentials into every major service they can think of… and if you reused, they're in.' Kain said: 'Today's phishing attacks aren't poorly worded emails. They're polished, look just like the real thing and sometimes even come from real providers like DocuSign or Canva.' To deal with such attacks, it's best to be ultra-cautious around links in emails, particularly when they relate to banking or anything similar. Instead of following the email, use your banking app or navigate to your bank's website - or if you're really worried, call. Kain said: "Today, fake login pages are pixel-perfect and often use legitimate-looking domains. All it takes is one moment of distraction or misplaced trust, and your credentials or sensitive information are compromised. 'Attackers love evoking senses of fear or urgency because those emotions often cause you to act without thinking. So, always take a minute to stop and think: is this legit? Just because a site looks real doesn't mean it is. Check the URL before entering credentials and navigate to sites directly instead of clicking links in emails or text messages.' Multi-factor authentication (MFA) bolsters passwords by insisting on a second check (often via text or through a dedicated app) to prove people are who they say they are. This means that if a criminal finds your password in an online data breach, they still cannot access your account. Kain said: 'MFA is one of the most effective defences you have against account takeovers. However, it's often ignored because 'it's annoying', or put off with 'I'll do it later'. 'The reality is that passwords get breached. Phishing works. MFA adds a backstop that makes it much harder for attackers to get in when they inevitably get a hold of your credentials. App-based MFA is ideal, but any form of MFA is better than none.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
What we know as M&S reopens website after major cyber attack
Marks & Spencer has reopened its website to customers after it was forced to halt internet orders in April following a damaging cyber attack. The retail giant said shoppers are now able to buy a selection of its best-selling fashion ranges and new products for home delivery to England, Scotland and Wales. In a statement published on social media, M&S managing director of clothing, home and beauty John Lyttle said: 'More of our fashion, home and beauty products will be added every day, and we will resume deliveries to Northern Ireland and Click and Collect in the coming weeks. 'Thank you sincerely for your support and for shopping with us.' On 25 April, after the Easter weekend, M&S reported that it had become the victim of a cyber attack and suspended its online orders. Initially, the incident affected the contactless payment and click and collect orders, before M&S paused online orders through its app and website. The cyber attack even led to empty shelves in some M&S stores, as the company said there were "pockets of limited availability" in some of its shops. M&S revealed last month that the hack was caused by 'human error', and would cost it around £300 million. Chief executive Stuart Machin said on reporting annual figures in May that hackers gained access to the company's IT systems through a third party. He said at the time: 'We didn't leave the door open, this wasn't anything to do with under-investment. Everyone is vulnerable. For us, we were unlucky on this particular day through some human error.' M&S also revealed that some personal data had been stolen. It said: "As part of our proactive management of the incident, we have taken steps to protect our systems and engaged leading cyber security experts. We have also reported the incident to relevant government authorities and law enforcement, who we continue to work closely with. According to M&S, the data taken could include customers' names, date of birth, phone numbers, home addresses, email addresses and online order history. However, it said the breach did not include card payment details or account passwords. M&S said: "Importantly, the data does not include useable payment or card details, which we do not hold on our systems, and it does not include any account passwords. There is no evidence that this data has been shared." The firm would not say how many customers were affected by the attack, but that it is writing to everyone they have an email for. M&S had 9.4 million active online customers in the year to 30 March, according to its last full-year results. Following the breach, anyone with an M&S account were prompted to change their password after they logged in to the app or online. M&S said: "We have said to customers that there is no need to take any action. For extra peace of mind, they will be prompted to reset their password the next time they visit or log onto their M&S account and we have shared information on how to stay safe online." The hackers behind the M&S attack used the DragonForce cybercrime service, whose malicious software and website is available on the darknet to carry out attacks and what's sometimes called "double extortion". This means they steal a copy of their victims' data and also scramble it to make it unusable. The double extortion occurs when they then effectively ask for a ransom for both unscrambling the stolen data and for also deleting their copy of it so they won't sell it online. DragonForce's darknet website does not currently have any entries about M&S, the BBC reported. It is not known who is using DragonForce to attack M&S – it was also reportedly used to target the Co-op and Harrods recently, but a group of hackers called Scattered Spider have been linked to the breach. At the beginning of this month, the Information Commissioner's Office said it was looking into the attack, as well as a similar major incident involving the Co-op. Luxury department store Harrods also confirmed this month it had been affected by an attempted hack and had temporarily restricted internet access across its sites as a precautionary measure. The National Crime Agency has said it is investigating the attacks individually but is 'mindful they may be linked'. Experts told Yahoo News UK that cyber attacks on supermarkets are unlikely to stop. 'This sort of thing is likely to happen more often," said Paul Bischoff, consumer privacy advocate at UK software company Comparitech. "Ransomware is a proven way for cybercriminals to make money, and until that's no longer true, we'll continue to see ransomware attacks." Cody Barrow, chief executive of software firm EclecticIQ, said: "It highlights an alarming trend: attackers are becoming increasingly opportunistic, exploiting weaknesses across complex, highly interconnected supply chains."
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Yahoo
St. Louis Democrats dispute election board on ballot labels
ST. LOUIS – When Cara Spencer was sworn in as the city's new mayor, she vacated her seat on the St. Louis Board of Aldermen. The city will hold a special election on Tuesday, July 1, to succeed Spencer as 8th Ward alderman. Five people have filed to represent Ward 8 on the board, but the ballot itself has caused some consternation for city Democrats, who are suing the St. Louis Board of Election Commissioners. The candidates will appear on the ballot sans party affiliation. But the St. Louis City Democratic Central Committee says that is unfair to its chosen candidate and wants a judge to force the election board to include party affiliations on the ballots. Last month, the DCC selected Shedrick Kelley as the official Democratic candidate. Although Republicans did not nominate a candidate for the race, Kelley is not without challengers. The city Libertarians nominated Cameron McCarty. Radar-indicated: Tornado likely rolled through Chesterfield The other three candidates—Jami Cox Antwi, Jim Dallas, and Alecia Hoyt—are registered Democrats but are running as independents after securing the signatures of 10% of registered voters in Ward 8 who voted in the April 8 mayoral election. In the November 2020 general election, St. Louis voters, by more than a 2-to-1 margin, supported Proposition D, which made elections open and nonpartisan for offices like the mayor, comptroller, and aldermen, and changed the primary system to allow voters to choose more than one candidate, with the top two choices facing off in a general election. But according to the city charter, since there are no primaries allowed for special elections, the local committees of 'established political parties' get to select their nominees and thus act as a primary. The city Democrats allege that keeping party affiliations off the ballot prevents the party from 'exercising its associational rights to participate in the political process as an established political party by issuing endorsements of candidates running for office.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
