Connecticut house of horrors stepmom denies child abuse accusations that came as ‘extreme shock’: attorney
The attorney for Kimberly Sullivan, the Waterbury, Connecticut woman facing a litany of charges for allegedly abusing her stepson for 20 years, denied that his client is responsible for any abuse in an interview with Fox News Digital.
Referring to bodycam footage released by the Waterbury Police Department last week, Ioannis Kaloidis said he completely disagrees with how his client has been portrayed.
“I have seen the photos, I have seen the videos,” Kaloidis said. “I disagree with the characterization of those photos and videos. They’ve been made out to be the worst that anyone has seen in 20 years. I do not see that as the case.
“Her face has been plastered all over the TV, the news, the internet, social media. Her life has been turned upside down. She has a giant target on her back. She has essentially become public enemy number one. It is a tremendous weight that she is carrying. It is a tremendous upheaval to her entire life.”
BODYCAM IN CONNECTICUT HOUSE OF HORRORS SHOWS SUSPECT AFTER STEPSON’S FIERY ESCAPE
The allegations came to light after authorities responded to a house fire in Waterbury on Feb. 17.
Inside the home, they said they found a 32-year-old man in an emaciated state, later identified as Sullivan’s stepson. He said he intentionally set the fire because he wanted his freedom.
WATCH: Police question Kimberly Sullivan at scene of fire
“This has been an extreme shock to her,” Kaloidis told Fox News Digita. “She lived a relatively quiet life.”
“Her side of the story is quite simple,” he added. “She did not harm him, she did not restain him, she did not imprison him.”
‘MALNOURISHED MAN HELD CAPTIVE BY STEPMOM FOR DECADES SET FIRE TO HOME TO ESCAPE: ’I WANTED MY FREEDOM’
According to an arrest warrant for Sullivan, her stepson, identified as “Male Victim 1,” said he was held in a windowless 8-foot by 9-foot storage closet with no air conditioning or heat and without access to a bathroom for 20 years. He was allegedly kept inside the closet 22-24 hours per day.
The man told police he was allowed two sandwiches and two small water bottles each day, one of which he would use for bathing. He said he disposed of his waste using water bottles and newspaper. The man weighed less than 70 pounds when first responders found him after the fire.
After an investigation, Sullivan was arrested on March 12 and charged with first-degree assault, second-degree kidnapping, first-degree unlawful restraint, cruelty to persons and first-degree reckless endangerment.
She has been released from jail on $300,000 bond.
While Kaloidis conceded that he does not know what happened inside the home at all times during the past 20 years, he said that Sullivan denies imprisoning her stepson.
“She recognizes that given these allegations, the rest of her life is on the line,” he said. “She’s hopeful that through the process she will be vindicated.”
MAN DESCRIBES SHOCKING LIVING CONDITIONS HE ENDURED DURING 20-YEAR HOME CAPTIVITY: ‘UNIMAGINABLE’
“I can tell you that the allegations were that this individual claims to have been imprisoned in that home up until the day of the fire,” Kaloidis said. “And my client adamantly denies that there was any imprisonment. As for the whole history, there’s a lot that I anticipate will come out over the course of the trial, hopefully, because I think that’s the appropriate place for the release of any additional information.”
