SALT LAKE CITY (CN) - A "charlatan behavior modification facility" took a girl's "desperate and deluded" mother for $100,000, made the girl a "mindless slave," and forced her to listen to stories about rape and bestiality, she claims in court.
Sarah Artim and her mother, Nancy Artim, sued Cross Creek Manor, and its operator, the World Wide Association of Specialty Programs, in Federal Court. The seven causes of action include fraud and slavery.
"This case is about a 15-year-old girl's being unlawfully locked up for 16 months in a private prison in Utah," the lawsuit states. "Doing this to her daughter cost a desperate mother almost $100,000, paid to a charlatan behavior modification facility called Cross Creek Manor in St. George, Utah. It is part of a major Utah industry that preys on desperate parents and charges enormous fees to treat their children worse than any felon in a Utah correctional facility. When the parent runs out of money, and the child is released, she will be far worse off than when she was forcibly committed, and her developing adolescent mind will be forever impaired. The retribution she here seeks will not begin to repair the harm she has suffered, or the money spent by her mother to help her."
The Artims say in the complaint that Sarah was sent to Cross Creek for treatment of anorexia, obsessive-compulsive disorder and anxiety.
"On or about January 2007, Nancy Artim signed an enrollment agreement with Cross Creek Manor along with a demanded [sic] of $4,500 month for the 16 months that Sarah was at Cross Creek, and additional amounts totaling approximately $100,000, which eventually forced Nancy into bankruptcy. In consideration of the money paid, Nancy had to transfer to Cross Creek full and complete possession, custody, and control of her minor daughter, Sarah Artim.
"The written adhesion agreement provided that Nancy would sign a power of attorney transferring custody of Sarah for the duration of the agreement, and nevertheless accept responsibility for all expenses, damaged property, run away retrieval expenses, nursing and medical care, and release Cross Creek and its employees or contractors from any liability for injury to or death of Sarah.
"The agreement gave Cross Creek full authority to strip search Sarah by removing all of her clothing so as visually to inspect her person and body cavities. Cross Creek had the right to physically control and detain Sarah by any restraint deemed necessary, which it did. Should she escape, Cross Creek could enlist any and all enforcement agencies to capture and return her to Cross Creek at Nancy's expense.
"Cross Creek was authorized to obtain medical care and records, and engage any medical, dental, psychiatric, and hospital, ambulance or other health related care at Nancy's expense. Cross Creek agreed that it understood that Sarah was a minor placed in its custody and control without her consent. Sarah thus belonged to Cross Creek."
Cross Creek is surrounded by tall fences and parents saw only what staff wanted them to see, the Artims say.
"Even in the outside area the parents were trapped into seeing only what the staff wanted them to see as the fences were 12 to 16 [feet] tall. They made the children do manual labor like washing the stairs with toothbrushes. There were isolation rooms for punishment," the 34-page complaint states.