Kent, WA Woman Kidnapped, Raped, Locked Naked in a Room and Sold for Sex

On February 9, 2018 I posted the news that a woman in Marblemount, WA had been kidnapped, raped, and tortured. On June 1, 2018 we saw a very similar case in Kent, WA where a man kidnapped a woman, raped her, and held her naked, locked in a room for two days; until she was able to escape when he attempted to pimp her out to have sex with other men.

According to the Komo 4 News report (June 1, 2018) the woman remained trapped in a room where the man repeatedly assaulted and raped her, and forced her to snort methamphetamine. He also tried to force the woman to earn money for him through prostitution and invited seven to eight men over to "look at her." On May 19, 2018 when a customer agreed to pay the man to have sex with the woman, he took the woman out the apartment in his SUV. She was able to escape by jumping from the vehicle and running to a nearby home where she hid under a table until police arrived.   

Prosecutors charged the man last week with first-degree rape and promoting prostitution.
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As can we seen from the above incidents, this type of horrific kidnapping and assault on women is perhaps more common than you might think. Having a personal security plan is essential to protecting yourself from violent attack.

Letting a trustworthy person know where you are going, when you are expected to return, and having that person check up on you if you are not heard from at the expected time is a simple and common sense precaution. If you don't want to tell someone every time that you go some place, consider setting up an automatic message to alert people if you go missing.

Defense items, such as personal alarms and pepper spray can help ward off an attacker; although according to U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics data, having a firearm and being able to use it in a defensive situation is the most effective means of avoiding injury (more so even than offering no resistance) and thwarting completion of violent crime, such as robbery or assault. In general, resisting violent crime is far more likely to help than to hurt, and this is especially true if your attacker attempts to take you hostage.

While no one expects to be attacked, the fact is that these violent attacks do happen and it is important to be prepared should you be targeted as the next victim.