Seven people have been arrested after a 16-year-old boy was allegedly kept as a sex slave for a whole year having been promised him a better life away from his family.
The six Florida men and one woman were caught after luring a second teenager to their ‘deplorable’ trailer over an online gaming app, police say.
Four of the men are accused of repeatedly sexually abusing the first boy at the squalid mobile home in St. Petersburg. He is said to have been found living on a small mattress surrounded by animal cages and feces.
The Tampa Bay Times reports he was rescued in May last year after police investigated the disappearance of a different missing teen, a 17-year-old from Louisiana.
Police this week confirmed they had arrested seven people, including a married couple, in connection with the case.
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Police this week arrested Mark Earl Dennis, pictured, and his husband Andrew Barry Dennis, accusing them of repeatedly sexually abusing a 16-year-old boy
Seven people, including Andrew Barry Dennis, pictured, have been arrested accused of a keeping the boy as a sex slave for a whole year
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody said: ‘As a mother, I cannot begin to stress how disturbing the facts of this case are for me.
‘The teenage victim in this case was lured away from his family with promises of a better life. Instead, he was moved into a filthy trailer and used as a slave for nearly a year.’
According to a report the teen was ‘introduced to sadomasochism and used as a sex slave by Mark and Andrew Dennis, Gruwell, Schwartz and their associates Michael Ray Blasdel and JR Gauthier.’
Married couple Mark Earl Dennis, 52 and Andrew Barry Dennis, 45, were arrested in Pinellas County along with Michael Ray Blasdel, 36, and 29-year-old J.R. Gauthier.
Eleanor Faye McGlamory, 56, was arrested in Marion County and Michael Wayne Schwartz, 51, was found in Lee County.
Police announced Tuesday they had found a seventh suspect, 34-year-old Curtis Lee Gruwell. They say there may be more victims.
Eleanor Faye McGlamory, left, was arrested in Marion County and police announced Tuesday they had found a seventh suspect, 34-year-old Curtis Lee Gruwell, right
Both Michael Wayne Schwartz, 56, left, and Michael Ray Blasdel, 36, right, face charges of conspiracy to commit human trafficking and interference with custody
J.R. Gauthier was arrested in Pinellas County as police say there say there may be more victims
St. Petersburg police were first alerted to the case after Louisiana authorities told them a missing 17-year-old from that state may be being held there.
Authorities say one of the defendants groomed the teen using the online game Discrod.
McGlamory is accused of picking him up in Louisiana and driving him to St. Petersburg.
Police Chief Tony Holloway said: ‘He was told he was going to go to a place that was better.’
When they arrived at the ‘feces covered trailer’ cops say they found that teen as well as a 16-year-old who had been reported missing from Marion County nearly a year ago.
His mom had found a note from her son asking her not to look for him, according to authorities.
The teen is said to have been found living on a small mattress surrounded by animal cages and feces in this trailer
Conditions inside the trailer, where ‘the boy was kept as a sex slave’ was said to be ‘deplorable’
Mark Earl Dennis and Andrew Barry Dennis lived at the trailer with Gruwell and Schwartz
Police has been investigating the disappearance of a different missing teen from Louisiana
Major Mark Hensley said: ‘They used him as a sex slave. The conditions inside this small trailer were deplorable. The victim was living on a small mattress with no bedding surrounded by animals, animal cages and animal feces.’
Mark Earl Dennis and Andrew Barry Dennis lived at the trailer with Gruwell and Schwartz.
They, along with Blasdel and Gauthier, are all accused of sexually battering the boy and did not enroll him in school or provide healthcare.
The couple all faces charges of sexual battery of a child under the age of 16.
All seven defendants face charges of conspiracy to commit human trafficking and interference with custody.
Police do not believe the 17-year-old was sexually battered.