Man held captive for 20 years asks prosecutors why stepmother is free after being charged

A Connecticut man, who claims he was held captive in his home for two decades as a child, expressed confusion as to why his stepmother, Kimberly Sullivan, remains free despite facing serious charges, including cruelty to persons, kidnapping, and felony assault. During a court hearing, supervisory assistant state's attorney Don Therkildsen highlighted the victim's fear and questioned why Sullivan is not in custody after he suffered such prolonged abuse.

Sullivan, 57, was arrested on March 12 and subsequently released on $300,000 bail. She has pleaded not guilty to the allegations that she confined her stepson in a small room, greatly restricting his food and water intake. When rescued, the man weighed only 69 pounds and had been subjected to this treatment since he was around 11 years old. Therkildsen emphasized the need for house arrest and electronic monitoring to prevent her from fleeing, given the victim's concerns for his safety.

Defense attorney Ioannis Kaloidis contested the house arrest request, stating that Sullivan has complied with her bail conditions and asserting that confining her could put her in danger due to threats against her. The court proceedings have brought to light the various failures by authorities over the years to intervene effectively in the family's situation, despite previous concerns raised about the victim's well-being.

In February, the victim attempted to escape his dire circumstances by setting a fire in the house, which led to his rescue. He reported being isolated in the small room for the majority of each day and recalled times when he was cut off from communication with the outside world, including being unenrolled from public school in 2004 under suspicious circumstances.

Authorities are now examining how such neglect was allowed to occur for so long. While local police made visits to the Sullivan home in the past without finding cause for concern, reports reveal that the victim had been monitored by educational officials who alerted child welfare services about his alarming condition. The Department of Children and Families has recently found archival records related to the case and is currently reviewing them in conjunction with ongoing investigations.