US authorities have arrested the son of a former president of the West African country of Guinea and his wife for allegedly enslaving a countrywoman in their Texas home.

Key points: The victim travelled alone to the US when she was five years old

The victim travelled alone to the US when she was five years old She escaped in August 2016 after 16 years

She escaped in August 2016 after 16 years The Toures deny the allegations and say she is a distant relative

Mohamed and Denise Cros-Toure were being held in a federal detention facility Friday (local time) pending a probable cause hearing on Monday in Fort Worth on a forced labour charge.

Toure's attorney, Brady Wyatt, told The Associated Press that his client is the son of late Guinean President Ahmed Sekou Toure, who helped lead Guinea to independence from French rule in 1958.

Sekou Toure was the country's first president, a role he held until his death in 1984.

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According to an arrest affidavit, the defendants arranged for the victim who did not speak English to travel alone from her village in the Republic of Guinea to Texas in 2000.

"The victim's Guinean passport indicated that she was five years old at the time," a statement published on the Department of Justice website stated.

And for 16 years, until the victim escaped in August 2016, the Toures allegedly forced her to work in their home without pay.

She was forced to cook, clean, do the laundry, perform yard work and care for their children, the affidavit said.

Toure's lawyer denies allegations

The Toures' attorney Scott Palmer denied the allegations and told AP that the woman, whose name has not been released, was a distant relative sent by her father from Guinea as a child to be raised alongside the couple's three children.

Mohamed Toure is the son of Ahmed Sekou Toure, the first president of the Republic of Guinea. ( Facebook: Mohamed Toure )

"She had chores, but all the children had chores … She loved gardening … She wasn't considered a housekeeper," Mr Palmer said.

Prosecutors also said the woman was not allowed to attend school.

Mr Palmer confirmed this, but said it was because she had overstayed her visa, and the family feared that she would be deported.

"She was provided food, clothing, a bed, spending money, a house to live in … Our clients purchased Christmas gifts for her," Mr Palmer said, adding that the Toures hadn't seen the woman since she left their Southlake home in 2016, seeking help from other relatives in Houston.

The maximum penalty for a forced labour conviction is 20 years in a US prison.

ABC/AP