Advertisement Autistic woman forced to sleep in cage; accused suspects planned to prostitute her Share Shares Copy Link Copy

Deputies made a disturbing discovery in Tangipahoa Parish. Sheriff Daniel Edwards said five people forced a 22-year-old woman with autism to live in a cage in a backyard and intended to prostitute her for money.The woman was rescued on June 30 after a complaint was called into the Sheriff's Office. It is not clear how long the woman was being caged on the property, but one neighbor said it could have been up to a year.Rocky Stewart has lived on Rushing Lane in Amite all his life."This was my great-grandfather's place, this whole place, and I'm the sixth generation on here," Stewart said.When his aunt died last year, Stewart said some distant relatives moved into a trailer on the property -- five adults and four children. There was one person Stewart said he never knew about, a 22-year-old autistic woman."It blows my mind because in a year's time, I never saw the girl, never," Stewart said.A tip led investigators there last week, where they said they found a malnourished woman covered in insect bites wandering around the backyard.The sheriff said she was being forced to live in a makeshift shelter, much like a dog kennel, which was a blue tarp draped over a cage. Investigators said she was often locked in the cage at night to keep her from wandering."If I'd have known something, I'd have stepped in myself and talked to them or found out what was going on, but I had no idea and they never struck me as that type of people," Stewart said.The sheriff said along with her belongings, there was a five-gallon bucket for her to use the restroom inside the enclosure. Investigators said the suspects were planning to take the woman to a specific location to prostitute her to multiple men for money."That's a terrible thing for anybody to do to anybody, and if it was done, somebody's got to pay," Stewart said.The five people arrested are Raylaine Knope, 40; Bridget Lambert, 19; Taylor Knope, 18; Jody Lambert, 21; and Terry Knope, 43. They are charged with human trafficking and cruelty to the infirm, but could face more charges.The woman was evaluated at an area hospital and placed in the care of the Louisiana Department of Health, Adult/Elderly Protective Services. Investigators said the woman was not at all related to the suspects.In addition to the woman, four juveniles were removed from the home and placed in the care and custody of the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services.