Surfside Beach police arrested a couple for luring a 17-year-old to their home through text messaging, pretending to be a 16-year-old girl the boy knew.
Police say the boy was consensually "sexting" with the girl who was staying with the couple overnight.
"At some point in the exchange, " Chief Mike Frederick said in a press release, "it appears that one or both of the suspects took the mobile phone from the 16-year-old and assumed the role of the young woman." According to a police report, the two decided to "teach him a lesson" for thinking he was going to have sex with the 16-year-old girl.
The boy told police when he got to the home, he was assaulted, held at knifepoint and forced to undress. The police report says the boy told them that one of the suspects, Timothy James Wilder, choked him around the neck until he couldn't breath and began coughing up blood. He managed to escape and call police.
Police arrested the couple soon after on Monday morning. They charged Timothy James Wilder, 30, with Kidnapping, Assault & Battery first degree, Armed Robbery, and Conspiracy to Commit Kidnapping. Wendy Diane Cox, 51, is charged with Kidnapping, Accessory before the fact of Kidnapping and Accessory before the fact of Assault & Battery first degree.
Police found blood spatter at the home, a knife and text messages that were used to communicate with the boy.
Frederick says it seems neither the victim nor the 16-year-old female violated any law during their communication.
The suspects were released from the J. Reuben Long Detention Center late Monday after posting bond.
