Authorities said a total of 10 people were rescued from a house where they were being held. Police said indications are this is human smuggling. Two suspects are in custody, according to police.
The owners of a religious boarding school in southwestern Missouri have been arrested on dozens of abuse charges, following an investigation prompted by alumnae who spoke out on TikTok. Court records show Boyd Householder, 71, faces 79 felony counts and one misdemeanor, including charges for child molestation, sodomy, sexual contact with a student and neglect of a child.
Stephanie Householder, 55, faces 22 felony charges for abuse or neglect of a child, and endangering the welfare of a child. The alleged incidents occurred from to They were scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday afternoon. An attorney who has represented the Householders in civil lawsuits said he will not be representing them in the criminal cases.
It was unclear Wednesday if the Householders had a defense lawyer. Stephanie Householder previously told NBC News that she and her husband deny all allegations against them. Boyd Householder opened Circle of Hope in as a school that he claimed could reform rebellious teenage girls.
Schmitt said witnesses told investigators that the Householders restrained girls with handcuffs and zipties, and stuffed dirty socks in their mouths. One girl said Boyd pushed her down the stairs, and another said he advised her on how to kill herself, according to Schmitt. However, these complaints did not result in charges. An assistant U.
