A man allegedly held captive in his own home for two decades has asked a sad question after his stepmother remained free despite facing charges.
Kimberly Sullivan, from Waterbury, Connecticut, was accused of imprisoning her stepson in her home after he reportedly lit a fire to escape.
The man, whose name is not being shared, was found very undernourished after the fire, which led to Sullivan’s arrest.
According to reports, concerns about his home life first arose while he was in school. At age 10, he was removed from Waterbury’s public school system in 2004 after school employees contacted state child welfare officials with concerns about him.
It was then claimed that he would be educated at home.
On February 17, the man reportedly used a lighter, paper, and hand sanitizer to set fire to the house.
The man has since said that he was only allowed to eat two sandwiches and two small bottles of water per day. He could only leave the tiny room he was allegedly locked in to do chores around the house for Sullivan.
According to an arrest warrant, a slide bolt lock was found attached to the door of the room from the outside.
Now, the man has asked a very sad question following Sullivan’s court appearance.
Sullivan attended the Waterbury court and pleaded not guilty to kidnapping, felony assault, and cruelty to persons.
During the court proceedings, Supervisory Assistant State’s Attorney Don Therkildsen Jr. revealed the victim’s thoughts on Sullivan being free despite her charges.
After Sullivan was arrested, she posted $300,000 bail in March, allowing her to leave jail, although she will be monitored electronically.
Therkildsen Jr. shared that the man was confused that she was not in jail, given the serious accusations against her, and questioned why she wasn’t imprisoned.
He suggested that Sullivan should be put under house arrest, as she might flee.
“This victim is afraid. This victim lives in fear,” Therkildsen Jr. said in court.
He explained that the first question the man asked him was: “Why is she out walking around when I was locked up in a room for 20 years?”
Sullivan’s lawyer, Ioannis Kaloidis, has denied the claims.
“She’s not the villain she is being made out to be,” he said.
“He was not locked in a room. She did not restrain him in any way. She provided food, she provided shelter. She is blown away by these allegations.”
Kaloidis objected to the house arrest request because Sullivan has followed all conditions since posting bail, and she has received threats.
He claimed that confining her to house arrest would put her in danger.
The alleged victim claimed that he was locked in the room with no heat or air conditioning for most of each day from around age 11.
His father, Kregg Sullivan, let him out of the room for longer periods until his death last year.