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DA: Woman turned into sex slave after internet meeting

By Kristen Hamill, CNN
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • A woman who agreed to cook and clean for free rent allegedly ended up a sex slave
  • The woman met John Hopkins on Craigslist
  • She says she was repeatedly raped
  • Hopkins is currently being held on $350,000 bail
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New York (CNN) -- A Wisconsin woman who said she agreed to cook and clean for a man she met on the internet in exchange for a free place to stay allegedly ended up as his sex slave, prosecutors said Wednesday.

The 27-year-old woman met New York resident John Hopkins on the website Craigslist before spending nine days trapped in his apartment, where she claims she was repeatedly raped, according to a district attorney's statement.

The woman -- whose name has not been released -- was treated for injuries at Woodhull Hospital in Brooklyn, New York. The details of her condition are not clear.

Authorities charged Hopkins with rape, assault, forcible touching and unlawful imprisonment, arresting him at his Brooklyn apartment on Saturday. He is currently being held on $350,000 bail.

The woman claims that she was looking for work in New York and found an advertisement that Hopkins posted on Craigslist, listing a room for rent, according to the complaint.

The pair agreed that the woman could stay rent free if she cooked and cleaned for Hopkins, who then paid for her airfare to New York on February 4, 2011.

Upon arriving at his apartment, Hopkins allegedly told the woman that she was going to be his slave, the complaint said.

The woman claims she was repeatedly raped between February 4 and February 12, and was also tied with a rope, gagged and handcuffed to a radiator, it said.

On the ninth day, she said she managed to call her mother and alert her of the alleged abuse.

Police found the woman bruised and bound in Hopkins' apartment, according to the district attorney statement.

Authorities said the victim was shaking and had marks on her body, according to the complaint.

Hopkins is expected to appear in court Friday for a preliminary hearing. If convicted, he could face up to 25 years in prison.