<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A couple from Gloucester Township, New Jersey, in the </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/usa" rel="" target="_blank" title="US"><span>US</span></a><span>, allegedly kept a girl captive and abused her for seven years before she escaped, in what authorities are describing as a "heartbreaking" case.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Brenda Spencer, 38, and Branndon Mosley, 41, were arrested over the weekend, days after the victim, Spencer's daughter, escaped their home.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The girl, now 18, had allegedly been abused since 2018, when she was removed from school before starting 7th grade and was confined to her home, Camden county prosecutor Grace C MacAulay said at a news conference Wednesday.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/sean-diddy-combs-sex-trafficking-trial-families-in-court/f54ff97c-0fc7-4ceb-bcbe-bd3fc9878905" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Graphic trial testimony plays out in front of Combs and Ventura's families</span></strong></a><strong><span></span></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Removing the victim from school "helped hide the heinous, years-long torture" that she suffered, the prosecutor said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The pair has been charged with several counts, including kidnapping, aggravated assault, endangering the welfare of a child and weapons charges, officials said. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Mosely, who worked as a train conductor, allegedly also sexually abused the victim, who was beaten with a belt. He was charged with several counts of sexual assault.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/us-teen-escapes-captivity-after-seven-years-of-abuse-authorities-say/5126627e-8544-4391-88ab-53255da0f870" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>CNN is attempting to determine whether the defendants have legal representation.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The victim was forced to live in a dog crate for approximately one year and was only let out periodically. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>She told police she was later held in a padlocked bathroom while being chained up and was only let out when family visited, officials said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/donald-trump-meeting-saudi-arabia-qatar-gulf-leaders-nuclear-deal-iran/b11feb9e-b761-478b-a08f-6b4ee01400a0" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Iran must cease support of proxy groups as part of any nuclear deal: Trump</span></strong></a><strong><span></span></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>At other times, she was forced to live in a room with only a bucket for a bathroom. The room was equipped with an alarm system that would alert Spencer and Mosley if she attempted to leave.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Authorities are not disclosing details of the victim's escape, except that it occurred on May 8. A neighbour, who initially called 211 for crisis intervention before contacting 911, helped report the abuse to law enforcement, MacAulay said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A search of the home determined the victim was forced to live in "squalid" conditions with numerous animals, including dogs and chinchillas, officials said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"What this young woman survived was absolutely horrific," MacAulay said, adding that she was "extremely fortunate" to escape.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The victim's 13-year-old sister also lived in the home and had been pulled out of school years earlier. The younger girl was home-schooled, MacAulay said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A detention hearing for Spencer and Mosley is scheduled for Friday.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></em></strong></a><strong><em><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. 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