Article content

Before he was dumped in the woods, a young man with autism who was lured via Facebook to his own kidnapping and torture said he had his bare skin scrubbed with a barbecue brush and a mixture of gasoline and bleach.

The man, who the Citizen is not naming to protect his identity, testified Wednesday at the kidnapping-and-torture trial of Laura Brahaney, 27, and Jake Hopwood, 28 at the Elgin courthouse from a video feed in another room.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Kidnapping trial: Victim scrubbed with bleach and gasoline, court hears Back to video

Both Brahaney and Hopwood have pleaded not guilty to robbery, kidnapping and other related charges. Two others have pleaded guilty for their roles in the alleged plot to rob the man.

On Sept. 4, 2014, the man had been promised a hook-up with another woman that was arranged over Facebook, but answered his apartment door to find Laura Brahaney, the Crown alleges. He was then blindfolded and bound after two other men entered his home.

After being choked unconscious and left in the woods, the man, then 25, made his way to a nearby home for help, wearing only his underwear, shivering and crying, court heard.