A Massachusetts man who was out on bail allegedly kidnapped a woman he met through a dating app, held her captive in an attic for six weeks and sexually exploited and assaulted her in squalid conditions.
Jordende Pierre, 29, was arrested on charges including trafficking a person for sexual servitude, kidnapping, and indecent assault and battery on a person 14 or older. US Marshals said the arrest followed the discovery of the woman inside an unfinished attic in a Malden multifamily home.
The woman, whose identity has not been released, was found naked and malnourished last Sunday on a mat beside a 5-gallon bucket containing her urine, NBC Boston reported.
“She clearly had not eaten. She was dirty. She was living, essentially, in squalor in this attic area,” Middlesex County Assistant District Attorney Jacob McCrindle said in court, according to the outlet.
Prosecutors allege that Pierre met the woman on a dating app, confined her in the home, sexually assaulted her and forced her to have sexual encounters with at least six other men who came to the property.
Authorities also allege that Pierre supplied drugs to the woman, who had struggled with substance abuse and had recently been in a rehabilitation facility, and removed the attic door handle to keep her from escaping.
Landlord Qing Sun told the outlet that she and her husband found the woman after visiting the property last Sunday to investigate a water leak.
Sun, who lives elsewhere but manages the building, said she called 911 after discovering the woman and a man in the unfinished attic while trying to locate the source of the leak.
“It’s a disturbing situation,” Sun said, adding that Pierre was not one of her tenants and that she had no idea anyone was living in the attic.
“This guy is not on the list. I’m not aware this guy is living there,” Sun said. “And I’m not aware anybody living in the attic. Nobody’s supposed to live there.”
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“I’m very happy to be able to help this young girl get back to her family,” the landlord added.
Pierre was arrested Thursday by a coordinated team that included Malden police, the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force and the US Marshals Service.
He also faces an open assault and battery case involving a dangerous weapon in Somerville and was free on bail when the alleged six-week ordeal took place.
Neighbors described the Summer Street property as “Frankenstein’s home.” One resident told NBC10 that a “rotating cast of characters” was frequently seen coming and going.
“We’ve heard rumors about that house in the past,” neighbor Tarra Sewell said. “I would never, ever imagine something happening so close to my home. … That’s really, really scary.”
Residents also said the property regularly hosted disruptive parties, with loud music often continuing on weeknights.
“There were a huge force of police. It sounds like they were very coordinated and organized,” neighbor Kirby Tang said.
“I just feel sorry for her; like, she was 500 feet away, and we couldn’t do anything,” Tang said. “Because we didn’t hear anything.”
Pierre is being held without bail. His next court hearing is scheduled for Oct. 6.
“The allegations in this case are deeply disturbing. No person should ever be subjected to the violence, exploitation, and loss of freedom alleged here,” Dennis Matulewicz, head of the US Marshals Service for the District of Massachusetts, said in a statement.
“When someone is accused of preying upon another person in this manner, the U.S. Marshals Service and our law enforcement partners will work relentlessly to find them and bring them before the court. I commend the outstanding coordination of our federal, state, and local partners that led to this swift arrest.”
