Parents accused of keeping their 18-year-old daughter confined in squalid conditions at their home, at times sexually abusing her, were ordered by a New Jersey judge to remain in jail ahead of a trial.
Brenda Spencer, 38, and Branndon Mosley, 41, appeared before Camden County Superior Court Judge Gwendolyn Blue on Thursday for a detention hearing. They were arrested last week after their daughter escaped the Gloucester Township home where she had been held captive since 2018.
Spencer is the girl’s mother, and Mosley is her stepfather.
The couple is charged with first-degree kidnapping, second-degree counts of conspiracy to commit kidnapping, aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of a child. Spencer was also charged with third-degree counts of criminal restraint and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon as well as weapons offenses.
Mosley was additionally charged with first-degree aggravated sexual assault and second-degree counts of sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child.
They forced the girl to live in squalid conditions, including living in a dog crate with her hands bound behind her back for about a year, and later chained in a padlocked bathroom, officials with the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office previously said.
She was later confined to a bare room with only a bucket to use as a toilet, authorities said. The room had an alarm system that would notify Spencer and Mosley if she tried to leave and she was only allowed to leave the room when family visited the home, the girl told authorities.
During the years she was held captive, she was physically beaten with a belt and sexually abused by Mosley, authorities said.
On one occasion the girl was not being fed and Mosley offered the girl food in exchange for sex acts, charging documents show.
After escaping the home, she was helped by a neighbor, authorities said.
Investigators searched the home and found the girl was subjected to living in squalid conditions alongside several dogs, chinchillas and other animals, authorities said.
Investigators also discovered another 13-year-old girl that lived at the home had been removed from school years earlier by Spencer, officials said. Both girls were allegedly homeschooled, according to officials.
Mosley’s attorney did not immediately return an emailed request for comment by NJ Advance Media. Spencer’s lawyer, Terrell Ratliff, said his client’s “lack of violent history, her ties to the community, and her willingness to comply with any court-imposed monitoring” qualified her for pre-trial release.
“The case is still in its early stages,” Ratliff stated in an email. “As it progresses, a more complete picture will emerge — and it may not align with initial impressions.”
Mosley worked as a train conductor for SEPTA, officials said. Spencer was not employed.
The couple are scheduled to return to court on July 23 for a pre-indictment conference.
Stories by Eric Conklin
Thank you for relying on us to provide the local news you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription.
Eric Conklin may be reached at econklin@njadvancemedia.com.