More Charges in Sexual Slavery Case

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (CN) - A Kirkwood man awaiting trial on charges of sexually enslaving of a woman now faces charges that he tried to hire a hit man to kill her.

Bradley Cook, 32, was named in a superseding federal indictment charging him with attempting to tamper with a victim, attempted retaliation against a witness and attempted tampering with a witness.

Prosecutors say Cook tried to hire the hit man while incarcerated in Leavenworth, to kill both the victim and Assistant U.S. Attorney Cynthia Cordes.

Cook was moved to a jail in Bates County, Mo., the victim was placed in protective custody and Cordes was given additional security.

The indictment includes only threats against the victim.

The indictment also charges Marilyn Bagley, 45, of Lebanon, Mo., with participating with her husband, Edward Bagley, in exploiting the woman.

Marilyn Bagley is charged with conspiracy, sex trafficking, forced labor trafficking, document servitude and use of an interstate facility to facilitate unlawful activity. She pleaded not guilty and was freed on her own recognizance.

The alleged victim, who is now 25 and is identified only as "FV," says she was tortured for several years in the Bagley's rural trailer in Lebanon, Mo.

Edward Bagley, 43, faces 11 federal charges, including conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and forced labor trafficking.

The other defendants are Cook; Dennis Henry, 51; James Noel, 45, and Michael Stokes, 62.

Prosecutors said it is one of the most horrific torture cases they have ever seen, and that the tortures escalated over time and included live Web shows.

Bagley allegedly threatened to kill FV and demonstrated his force by shooting animals she cared for in front of her. The torture stopped on Feb. 27, 2009 when Bagley was forced to seek emergency medical attention for FV after she suffered a cardiac arrest during the torture, court documents state.

Two of the five men have pleaded guilty to a conspiracy count involving sex and torture. The others have pleaded not guilty. Marilyn Bagley is accused of not doing anything to stop it.

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