KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The allegations in the indictment were shocking: A young woman had been held captive for years as the sex slave of a Missouri couple. She had been locked in a cage and subjected to electrical shocks. Parts of her body had been nailed to wooden planks.
When announcing charges last month, U.S. Attorney Beth Phillips called the case one of “the most horrific ever prosecuted in this district.”
Authorities said the woman was a mentally deficient runaway who was recruited by an older man at the age of 16 to live in his trailer. The situation came to light in early 2009, after the woman, then 23, landed in a hospital following what prosecutors said was a torture session.
But as more details have emerged, more questions have arisen about the accuser, including her involvement in violent sex practices, her posing for a pornographic magazine and her work as a strip-club dancer. Supporters of the defendant are speaking out, too, saying many of the acts described in the indictment are practiced every day between consenting adults.
Ed Bagley, 43, faces 11 federal charges, including conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and forced labor trafficking. Four other men also are charged with various crimes.
A graphic 21-page federal indictment describes medieval-like sexual devices being used on the woman at Bagley’s mobile home about six miles outside Lebanon, in southwest Missouri. Accusations of waterboarding, suffocation and beatings are mentioned throughout.
Bagley’s wife, Marilyn, said she and her husband knew the girl because she had dated their son. That relationship had ended, Bagley’s wife said, but the girl wanted to come live with the couple when relations with her adoptive parents soured. She said the girl moved in when she was 17, not 16, and never had sex with her husband until after she turned 18.
“She was not a runaway,” Marilyn Bagley said. “We picked her up from her adopted dad and stepmom. They were right there and everything.”
Marilyn Bagley said prosecutors have told her she also will be charged if she doesn’t agree to testify against her husband. But she said she will not take the stand against him because she believes the two did nothing wrong.
Prosecutors said Ed Bagley posted videos and other images on the Internet showing the young woman engaged in sexual activities. He allegedly described her as his sex slave and advertised that she would perform sex acts and submit to torture for other people during encounters online or in person.
Bagley is accused of taking payments of cash, cigarettes, computer hard drives, even meat, to let other men come to his home and torture her.
Bagley and other defendants are also charged with transporting the woman to California in 2006 and 2007 for prostitution. She appeared on the cover of the July 2007 issue of Taboo, a publication owned by Larry Flynt’s Hustler Magazine Group, and was the subject of a story and multipage photo spread inside.
Prosecutors said Ed Bagley also forced the girl to work as an exotic dancer and threatened to punish her if she was not a top earner at the clubs where she stripped.
But another dancer at the same Missouri strip club said the woman seemed to enjoy the attention she got when she danced, often showing off the issue of Taboo magazine that featured her on the cover.
“This girl was spoiled,” said Katie Smothers, who said she spent time at Bagley’s trailer when she needed a place to stay but never participated in bondage activities.
“She would take customers to show them her magazine, and she had a bucket of photos at the bar. She bragged about it.”
Susan Dill, Bagley’s Kansas City-based attorney, told reporters recently that the indictment tells only one side of the story. She said the defense will present evidence that the woman practiced BDSM — bondage, dominance, sadism and masochism — by choice.
Dill declined to go into detail, and attorneys for the other defendants turned down requests for comment.
The U.S. attorney’s office in Kansas City also declined repeated requests to comment, saying the indictment speaks for itself.
Marilyn Bagley, who for years shared a bed with her husband and the woman, told The Associated Press the woman often left the Bagleys’ home to go into the community.
She believes the woman’s family coerced her to go to police after she was taken to a hospital suffering from cardiac arrest, which Bagley claims she suffered while getting ready for work — not during a torture session.
“She started seizing, and when she was done, she stopped breathing. Ed gave her CPR. I was on the phone to 911. We were freaking out. We didn’t know what to do,” she said.
Dr. Keely Kolmes, a San Francisco-based psychologist who sees patients who practice BDSM, said that many of the acts listed in the indictment can be part of consensual activities. But others might indicate Bagley was an abuser, such as allegations that he shot animals the woman cared about to prove he could kill her and that he refused to stop immediately when the woman used a “safe word.”
“Consensual BDSM does not involve holding minors hostage against their will or causing physical or mental harm,” Kolmes said in an e-mail to the AP. “That is a criminal behavior.”
Susan Wright, spokeswoman for the Baltimore-based National Coalition for Sexual Freedom, said some of the things Bagley is accused of are clearly abuse, if true.
“Certainly in abusive relationships, sometimes it’s hard to parse out what people do voluntarily and what things they are coerced to do,” said Wright, who helped write a sadomasochism vs. abuse policy statement in the late 1990s that has been adopted by national BDSM groups.
At times, it all becomes “tangled up,” she said. “And at that point, I don’t think any consent you give is legitimate consent.”
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ALLRight
Posted on October 25, 2010 at 3:41pmSo what I understand here is that many of you DO believe in censorship and that you are who should be the decision maker regarding what everyone else gets to be informed about? Interesting.
Report Post »JohnDoe
Posted on October 25, 2010 at 12:02amOur great country was founded by and for the citizens of the thirteen colonies. It was designed to insure that a central government was controlled and limited by representatives of those citizens. It was given a limited amount of power, with many checks and balances, to secure the rights and freedoms for its citizens. They were making sure that an American Government would and could not become as Britian had. England enacted laws and taxes on their American subjects, but without allowing the colonies a say in their government. Ignoring the will of the people of America, they bullied and took away what limited rights they had and tried to force them to comply. Sound familiar? Yes, we don’t have to look far across the Atlantic at a despotic leader, we have only to look at the Oval Office in Washington, D. C. and to those whom we had entrusted the liberties of the people and the country. Our representatives, Senate and the House, are there to represent the will of the people. Instead, they have consistently lied to their constituents, both during campaigns and when in office. They have consistently robbed the American people, not only of their money, but also by stealing their liberties, little by little. The incumbent office holders allow themselves to be above the law, they allow themselves to steal by back-room corrupt deals and the like. They ignore the very people who put them in office, they even resort to passing laws, under cover of darkness. They hide laws and corrupt deals in the midst of thousand of pages of laws. This has always been a trick of unethical lawyers. Their mindset is to bog down any opposition by inudating them with mountains of paperwork. Then, they laugh and call the people stupid and ignorant, or worse! No doubt, I could go on and on. Their lack of character, morals and ethics makes them unfit to be employed anywhere, let alone entrusted with the security, freedom, and economic growth of this great country. They have taken your freedom to worship, especially targeting Christianity. They have tried to rewrite the American history, to further their agendas, just like the Moslems continue to do with Israel.
Soon after deciding what sort of Government America was to become, that very question was asked of Benjamin Franklin. In reply Franklin said, “A Republic….if we can keep it”. This is a question that should be upon the lips of all true American patriots. If we can’t or more correctly, if we won’t, then we don’t deserve it. The choice is up to us, the American people, and the answer should be and must be yes we will!
You’re probably asking how do we insure that we will keep this nation a free Republic. Oh, we voted for only those who promised no more taxes, no more spending, etc., etc. Of course they all were proven to be liars again (or should I have said they were just not quite forthcoming or perhaps they were a little disingenuious?). Then we did the “best of the two evils” choice. This was no different than the “Magician’s Choice” trick! We now know that there is no difference between Republicans and the Democrats when it comes to which is telling the truth. Neither has the best interest of America at heart, probably not even in mind! Their goal is simply to acquire power, money, more power and more money while doing and saying anything to remain in office.
So what is the answer? They don’t listen when the people, overwhelmingly, protest and tries to voice their opposition. So the American people need to get their UNDIVIDED attention. How? WE THE PEOPLE, must vote any and all incumbents out of office. It doesn’t matter if they are better than most. If they haven’t been part of the solution, then they are part of the problem. THEY MUST KNOW AND WE MUST LET THEM KNOW THAT GOVERNMENT WILL NO LONGER BE RUN BY ROUGUE LAWYERS AND OPPORTUNISTS, PROGRESSIVES (AKA SOCIALISTS), ETC. THEY ARE NOTHING MORE THAN MODERN-DAY CARPETBAGGERS OR WANNA-BE DICTATORS. THEY MUST BE EDUCATED TO THE FACT THAT THEY WILL BE VOTED OUT AGAIN AND AGAIN, UNTIL THEY LEARN THAT OUR REPRESENTATIVES ARE NO LONGER ABLE TO RUN THEIR OWN VERISON OF CRIME, INC.
AND THOSE THAT ARE ELECTED TO OFFICE, BUT CONTINUE TO DO WHAT IS BEST FOR THEIR OWN BENEFIT WILL SOON LEARN THEY WILL HAVE ONLY ONE TERM IN OFFICE.
We, the people, need to lobby our newly elected representatives to enact new laws to insure ALL our freedoms, our security, etc. Enact laws that ethical or criminal behavior of representatives will be prosecuted swiftly and severly, with no possibility of any pardon…not by a state Governor nor by a President! Enact laws or amendments to limit a President to one term only, ensuring that any damage to our country will not be as damaging as is obvious with this Government. Further limit the terms of our Representatives, both in the Senate and the House. Imperative to limit the term of all Supreme Court Justices to no more than an eight year term and make an amendment that the justices can no longer re-interpret the Constitution, but uphold the laws as it was written and intended by the original framers.
So, the bottom line is this: unless the American people get the undivided attention of those in government…when you and your family members are homeless and hungry or at the very least jobless…remember, you have only yourselves to blame.
THE ONLY WAY TO INSURE THAT YOUR FUTURE REPRESENTATIVES WILL LISTEN TO ITS CONSTITUENTS IS VOTE OUT ALL INCUMBENTS!!! FROM THAT POINT ON, EACH REPRESENTATIVE MUST KNOW WE WILL VOTE THEM OUT AGAIN AND AGAIN UNTIL WE HAVE RESPONSIBLE REPRESENTATIVES THAT UNDERSTAND THEY ARE THERE FOR THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE.
Report Post »Big Toe
Posted on October 24, 2010 at 2:53pmThis story is on the blaze bc it’s new and has a story line.I tthink the girl likes that kind of life she leads. Leave her alone she’ll make some miserable sociopath a great date.Trailer trash, nothing you can do about it.
Report Post »BurntHills
Posted on October 24, 2010 at 1:21pmwhy the holy HELL is this trailer-trash strip-club sex crap on THEBLAZE? was she a politician or candidate? no. we have a week left, let’s stick to relevant facts like POLITICS and who is doing what in these elections. the fact is: if we do not get all the facts and know what is going on, to recover AMERICA, soros’s puppet obama will DESTROY US. .
Report Post »DrPepper
Posted on October 24, 2010 at 12:39pmDid Glenn okay this? This trash I kept reading on thinking there would be a point. Look anyone can surf the web a find smut, please stop this immediately. Most of the people here are evangelicals please take that under consideration.
Report Post »Okpulot Taha
Posted on October 24, 2010 at 1:03pmDr. Pepper is a tyrant.
Iron Fist Censorship! You are a left liberal socialist, yes?
Okpulot Taha
Report Post »Choctaw Nation
Okpulot Taha
Posted on October 24, 2010 at 11:42amThere is always a silver lining to every story!
I have a girlfriend who, when younger, made a fortune sewing up leather bondage and discipline outfits and accessories for retailers. There is a vast market for sex related clothing. My girlfriend capitalized on this market and earned a lot of money. Smart girl, she invested her silver coins in real estate and made a killing. Today, she leads a very comfortable life. She is about as straight as can be, always has been. She saw an opportunity and seized upon this opportunity.
This B & D stuff does seem a predominately left liberal activity; Pelosi and ‘Frisco.
As to this Bagley boy, there are actually a total of five men indicted. A copy of the federal grand jury indictment is here (extremely graphic):
http://www.scribd.com/doc/37203030/Bagley-Indictment
Best justice served would be to take those boys out behind the courthouse and shoot them dead, followed by a proper burial; wrap them in newspaper then stomp them into the ground.
Guilt is painfully obvious, there is no need for a trial.
Of macabre interest, one of those boys flies a “Don’t Thread On Me” flag out front of his home, a flag which is often a Tea Party standard. Rather clear the boy is not a Tea Party type but left liberals might twist this around to be so.
Other interest is those boys had an arsenal of firearms, enough for a small militia.
Rather tragic, this girl victimized, other victims, none will ever enjoy a normal life. She and others will be tortured by memories for life.
Okpulot Taha
Report Post »Choctaw Nation
BlackCrow
Posted on October 24, 2010 at 11:30amWhat does this have to do with the communist takeover of the United States?
Report Post »tower7femacamp
Posted on October 24, 2010 at 9:12amFree Speech is Free Speech, nobody is being forced to read any ones comments
Report Post »funny how so many people are so quick to complain about
the GREATEST GIFT any nation has ever given it;s citizens.
Thank God for the FREEDOMS you have today
because they are fading fast because we don’t want to be offended or
offend others.
grandmaof5
Posted on October 24, 2010 at 8:55amIf you don’t want this type of article on here, don’t leave a comment at all. Perhaps that will send a message, but remember, other people may not like what you do but keep it to themselves and move on.
Report Post »clhathaway
Posted on October 24, 2010 at 8:06amIf the girl did it voluntarily she needs psychological help and a lot of counceling, and the couple should be severely beaten for abusing her by participating in her sick self-abuse.
Of course if she wasn’t a “voluntary” victim then she still needs the psychological help. But for the couple the beatings should simply continue until they stop breathing.
Report Post »GBMBulletsSKNRD
Posted on October 24, 2010 at 4:58amIf that kind of crap is going on here it should be stopped immedeatly by any means possiable. I don’t know what the sulution is but one would think there is a way to stop it cold.
Come on people put your heads together and think. We The People Can do it right?
Report Post »Lesterp
Posted on October 24, 2010 at 8:59amPlease give spell check a chance!
Report Post »untameable-kate
Posted on October 24, 2010 at 11:11amAlot of people type very fast or they just got home from work and are tired or they post early or late and are sleepy. We aren’t here to be graded.
Report Post »Lesterp
Posted on October 24, 2010 at 11:29amNot grading at all but, spell check is a valuable tool. Just saying
Report Post »MrButcher
Posted on October 24, 2010 at 2:27ameveryone NEEDS to hear about human depravity that occurs around them!!
this crap is more common than you think.
Report Post »Silo13
Posted on October 24, 2010 at 6:46amI agree.
What a shame when people are afraid of the truth – no matter how horrific it is.
I hope justice is served in this case.
Thank you to The Blaze for treading where others fear too and not stopping at reporting milk-toast and politics.
peace
Report Post »IVillageIdiot
Posted on October 24, 2010 at 2:12amObama’s goals = Cleon Skousen observations of CPUSA/USSR goals of 1962:
Goal #39. Dominate the psychiatric profession and use mental health laws as a means of gaining coercive control over those who oppose Communist goals.
Goal#26. Present homosexuality, degeneracy and promiscuity as “normal, natural, healthy.”
Report Post »walkwithme1966
Posted on October 24, 2010 at 2:25amNow I know what you call yourself the IVILLAGEIDIOT – it wasn’t Obama who wrote the article, it was the Blaze. http://maboulette.wordpress.com
Report Post »TruthLover
Posted on October 24, 2010 at 3:15amYep – BDSM is “normal.” There’s nothing to see here, move along. And take your pills.
Report Post »Chett
Posted on October 24, 2010 at 4:14amWorth noticing tho – what the country is getting to. Many of us would not know of these degenrate practicies, we don’t read that sort of thing as a rule. All information is knowledge. Pretty sick but a lot of this world is and we can‘t pretend it isn’t by acting like ostrich.
Report Post »robert5635
Posted on October 25, 2010 at 12:43amIts virtually impossible to find a good woman to have a family with anymore, everyone seems to be hung up/strung out on money, drugs, or sick sexual behavior. Glad its almost to the end.
Report Post »jjbbaj14
Posted on October 24, 2010 at 1:50amI agree this story does not belong here. This is beneath the blaze.
Report Post »MidAmerican
Posted on October 24, 2010 at 1:38amThis story is not worthy of the Blaze. A slow night or what??? : /
Report Post »adifftake
Posted on October 24, 2010 at 1:33amAnd this story is on the site why? Y’all keep this up I will have to quit coming here. Who’s sicker the people in the story or you wanting to share this filth?
Report Post »osbo45
Posted on October 24, 2010 at 2:12amSeriously; I only read the article thinking that there was some deeper purpose or meaning behind the story. I don’t want to hear about this garbage. That’s not why I come to The Blaze.
Report Post »klstj
Posted on October 24, 2010 at 3:12amMy dear, you can decide what or what not to read. It’s like art in the eye of the beholder. You see the title, make a decision, click or don’t. Free speech, free to read free to decide for yourself. To your defense, its like a train wreck, you can’t help but watch in horror. But to add a bit, this site is for politics, media, entertainment, blog, etc. Conservative or not, the site is not responsible for unbelievable freaks who make a story or shock headline. You can’t start picking and choosing, that puts you on the other side. Do this, take this story as I did. Pray for lost souls. Use it as an inexcusable example of what not to do. Allow the courts and citizens to decide the truth….until then its a reminder to stay vigilant to truth, love, common sense, morality, decency, faith. Good will prevail even when challenged by the most evil as long as we stand as one…even in the face of the dire evil vs. Good!
Report Post »Venom
Posted on October 24, 2010 at 5:33amAgree with KLSTJ don’t click it
Report Post »338lapua
Posted on October 24, 2010 at 9:01amI think it is important to pay attention to what is going on in the world around me. People are sick. It gives me greater moral clarity about the things I care about. It also reinforces my Christian beliefs. Bottom line is I can read it or ignore it, freedom of choice.
Report Post »Awakened One
Posted on October 24, 2010 at 11:44amWell, it’s not going to make me stop coming here, but this stuff belongs in the supermarket tabloids.
Report Post »Wbguru
Posted on October 25, 2010 at 3:21pmWell If you did not trully want to read it why did you? The Headlined Should have made you not even click the link. But I BET YOU READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE TWICE.
Report Post »snowleopard3200
Posted on October 24, 2010 at 1:31amLet the facts at trial speak for themselves, the truth needs to come out one way or the other and if any are guilty then the law determines the penalties to apply.
http://www.artinphoenix.com/gallery/grimm
Report Post »tower7femacamp
Posted on October 24, 2010 at 8:03amhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bxm1UgICj_o&feature=related
Report Post »Foster care has a bad track record on abuse.
tower7femacamp
Posted on October 24, 2010 at 8:28amnow Nancy is dead
Report Post »http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4w_IOnQanIs&feature=related
MK-ULTRA
http://projectmkultra.com/
JGP
Posted on October 24, 2010 at 10:31amDittos SNOWLEOPARD.
Report Post »Independent Tess
Posted on October 24, 2010 at 7:58pmIf she is “mentally deficient” then it is legally impossible for her to give consent.
Report Post »