A woman in Texas was kept as a “slave” chained to a bed and forced to clean a couple’s home for nearly two weeks after an ongoing affair with one of her kidnappers, police said.
Jean-Claude Demars, 51, and his wife, Charlotte Kelly Demars, were arrested after police, acting on a tip, found the 51-year-old victim shackled to a bed inside the couple’s Olivia home on Jan. 26, according to an arrest warrant affidavit obtained by WFAA.
The woman — who told police she had been involved in an intermittent eight-year affair with Jean-Claude Demars — said she woke up to being detained in the home after her former flame gave her a drink at a gas station 12 days earlier.
At one point, Demars had been paying for the woman to stay at a hotel, but he eventually stopped paying for those accommodations. The victim then moved into a women’s shelter, where Demars picked her up prior to the alleged kidnapping.
Once inside the couple’s home, the victim was told she was going to be “Charlotte’s slave,” she later told police. She was also forced to clean up dog feces inside the home and was forced to use a bucket as a restroom, according to the arrest warrant affidavit.
Police estimated up to 40 dogs were kept at the home of the couple, who may operate a dog breeding kennel called Tribble’s Nest, CBS Dallas reported.
Jean-Claude Demars admitted picking up the victim from a shelter in Irving, but told police he only took her back to his home because she started getting “loopy” and lost consciousness inside his vehicle after getting drinks at a gas station. The couple also claimed they kept the victim bound solely for their own safety, according to the arrest warrant affidavit.
“Mr. and Mrs. Demars told officers that they did apply the chains and shackles to [the victim], but only because [she] requested it to avoid killing them in their sleep,” the document reads.
Leg cuffs, chains and collars were found inside the home, where the Demarses were taken into custody. They remained held as of Wednesday at the Ellis County Jail on $150,000 bail each, jail records show.
The victim was taken to a hospital for treatment. She told authorities the couple gave her an electronic tablet for entertainment and she used the device to send a message to someone who notified police that she was being held against her will, CBS Dallas reports.