Alberta woman kidnapped, held for 5 days in South Carolina trailer
Drew Anderson | CBC News | Posted: May 26, 2017 5:08 PM | Last Updated: May 26, 2017
Woman flew to Atlanta last week for what she believed was a modelling job, police say
An Alberta woman was held against her will and sexually assaulted over the course of five days in a South Carolina trailer after being lured with the promise of a lucrative modelling gig.
The woman, described only as being between 18 and 25 years old, was in contact with the suspect over the internet and "various social media apps" for two months prior to the incident, according to the Pickens County Sheriff's Department.
Fred Russell Urey, who presented himself as a photographer in need of a model, said he would pay the woman $15,000 and covered her flight into Atlanta on May 18.
Drove from Atlanta to his residence
Police say he picked up the victim at the airport and drove her to Pickens County, S.C., stopping at two hotels along the way and showing her locations Urey claimed he wanted to use as scenic backdrops for his photos.
"On the third night, the suspect took the victim to his residence and once inside; he immediately used physical force to restrain her and threatened her safety as well as the safety of her family in Canada," reads a summary provided by police.
The sheriff's department says the victim was forced to engage in "various sex acts to include bondage, oral sex and sexual intercourse multiple times over several days."
Contact with family
Urey allowed the woman to use her cellphone under close observation and she was able to send coded messages to her family. Her family sensed she was "extremely frightened and nervous" when she contacted them via FaceTime.
"The victim was able to silently mouth certain words as clues to her location and the identity of the suspect," reads the police summary.
"At times, she was even able to take snapshots and secretly send them to family and friends to help them learn of her location."
The family notified the RCMP, and officers from the force were present on May 24 when the victim had a phone conversation with the family, according to an RCMP news release.
The Canadian police then contacted the sheriff's department in Pickens County and shared the victim's phone information and other clues she had passed on, according to the RCMP.
Police raid
The U.S. authorities began searching for Urey and used "tracking technology" to confirm his identity and location.
Arriving at the trailer, police said they heard a scream and a smashing sound as the victim jumped through a window into the front yard. They then forced their way into the trailer and found the suspect with a knife to his own throat.
Urey was eventually taken into custody and a search of his trailer turned up methamphetamine and "additional evidence corroborating the victim's statement that she had been physically tied with restraints," according to police.
Urey has been charged with kidnapping, first-degree criminal sexual conduct and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Neither the RCMP nor the Pickens County Sheriff's Department would elaborate on where in Alberta the victim lives.
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