Chicago, IL: Derek Swift, a 48-year-old man from Chicago, is accused of kidnapping a 15-year-old girl and sexually assaulting her in his basement for months.
The shocking facts came to light in court, showing a troubling pattern of abuse and manipulation. Prosecutors in Cook County say the nightmare started on December 6 when Swift reportedly approached the teen as she walked home.
After offering to drive her around over and over, she finally gave in and got into his car, where she was reportedly given drugs and alcohol until she passed out.
The young girl says she had a waking nightmare after that and woke up naked in Swift’s basement, being held against her will for almost five months.
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During the experience, the victim says Swift sexually assaulted her multiple times. She says Swift left her alone for days at a time and made her afraid by threatening to hurt her and her family.
Still, even though Swift gave her a phone, she felt helpless to ask for it because she was afraid of what would happen if she tried to leave or call for help.
On April 29, the girl finally found a way to get away. She found Swift’s flat address and called the police. Quickly, the police stepped in and freed the scared girl from her captor’s grasp.
Shockingly, investigations showed that the victim’s phone was only used to talk to Swift, which showed how alone she really was.
Anne McCord, an assistant state’s attorney, didn’t hold back when she talked about the horrible things that happened to the young victim and how deeply traumatized she was.
According to reports, Swift admitted to picking up the girl but said he thought she was old enough. He also said that they both agreed to any sexual behavior that happened between them.
However, prosecutors strongly disagreed with this argument, saying that Swift’s actions were clearly wrong no matter how old the victim was thought to be.
Responding to Swift’s defense attorney’s worries about the victim’s failure to escape sooner, McCord reiterated the accused’s deep manipulation and fear tactics.
It came out during Swift’s bail hearing that she had a bad past with the law. She had been arrested 52 times before the current charges. Fearing for the public’s safety, Judge Susana Ortiz told the Cook County Jail to hold Swift without bail until further hearings.