Prosecutors in Camden County, New Jersey, have disclosed graphic new allegations that a mother and stepfather subjected their daughter to years of confinement, physical assault and sexual abuse in what authorities have described as a "house of horrors." The couple, Brenda Spencer, 38, and Brad Moseley, 41, were arrested in May and arraigned on Sept. 8; both entered not guilty pleas.
According to the Camden County Prosecutor's Office and court filings, the victim — who escaped in May with the help of a neighbor — told investigators she had been removed from school in 2018 and purportedly homeschooled thereafter. Prosecutors say she was confined in a padlocked bathroom and at times chained by her wrists and ankles, forced to use a popcorn bucket as a toilet, kept in a dog crate for about a year, and shaved bald. The victim also reported being beaten with a belt and sexually assaulted by her stepfather.
Prosecutors described the living conditions as squalid. When police entered the residence, they said the teen was surrounded by dogs, chinchillas and other animals and confined in a room with no furniture that had been rigged with an alarm system meant to alert the parents if she attempted to leave. The girl said she was only let out when visitors came to the home. A younger daughter, now 14, also lived in the house; prosecutors said she had been pulled out of school but did not allege she suffered the same treatment and said both children are now in safe locations.
Moseley, according to prosecutors, told investigators that heavy drinking left him unable to recall whether he had sexually assaulted the girl but that it was "possible." Spencer denied involvement during her separate arraignment, and her attorney entered a not guilty plea on her behalf. The defense lawyer said of the prosecution's early overtures that "this is where the game begins, if you will." Assistant Prosecutor Rachael Manardi presented plea proposals to defense counsel at the arraignment.
Prosecutors have not publicly released the full slate of formal charges but have said the allegations include prolonged confinement, physical abuse and sexual assault. If convicted, Spencer faces up to 30 years in prison, while Moseley faces a potential life sentence, prosecutors said. The next court date in the matter is scheduled for Oct. 7.
Authorities have characterized the case as the product of a multi-year pattern that began when the older girl was removed from school as a sixth grader in 2018. The allegations came to light after the teen escaped and reported the abuse to police. Camden County officials called the conditions inside the home "despicable" during initial statements to the media.
The case remains under investigation. Prosecutors and law enforcement agencies have not released additional evidence to the public while court proceedings continue, and attorneys for the defendants have said it is premature to discuss plea negotiations or defenses in detail.