On Thursday, a six-count federal indictment was handed down against a Louisiana family accused of horrific crimes committed against their 22 year old autistic relative.  If the allegations are true, the unknown woman was held against her will for more than 10 months by her own family - and subjected to some of the cruelest treatment imaginable.

Raylaine Knope, her husband, 45-year-old Terry J. Knope II, their children, 23-year-old Jody Lambert and 20-year-old Taylor Knope, and Raylaine's 21-year-old daughter Bridget Lambert have all been charged with a wide array of crimes including conspiring to obtain forced labor, sex trafficking, and hate crimes.

In August of 2015 Raylaine and the unnamed victim's mother passed away, and the family moved from a home in Kentwood to a mobile home in Amite.  Allegedly, that's when the ghastly abuse started.  According to the report from NOLA.com, the 5 abusers kept their victim padlocked in a storage shed - and sometimes a chicken coop.  They are also accused of regularly beating, intimidation, and just plain sadistic abuse.  That abuse includes an incident where the victim was allegedly forced to pour her recently deceased mother's ashes into a cereal bowl with milk and eat it while the family looked on and laughed.

There were lots more allegations of abuse, including but not limited to: Death threats (with a gun held to her head), being held underwater in a hot tub, smashing her hand with a hammer, and forced drug use.  The family is also accused of stealing $8,000+ in social security payments, her cell phone, and her laptop in an effort to keep her from escaping.

The case has brought to bear the investigative and prosecuting power of the FBI, and the U.S. Justice Department's Civil Rights Division.  If convicted, these 5 family members will be going away for a very long time.

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