A woman nationally recognized for the abuse she suffered as a child now faces charges for sexually assaulting a teen girl in Dallas, Texas.
As Dallas News reports, Lauren Kavanaugh, 25, also known as the “Girl in the Closet,” reportedly met the 14-year-old girl through a Facebook account titled, “The Lauren Kavanaugh Story.”
‘Girl in the Closet’: Woman who spent childhood in abusive home indicted for sexually assaulting teen girl.
— ThePoliceReporter.com
The account was created by Kavanaugh to allegedly connect and provide support to other victims of abuse, police said.
However, on February 25, a tip from the victim’s neighbor led police to discover the social media platform may have had a darker purpose.
While talking with police, the teen victim revealed that she and Kavanaugh had been in a “sexual relationship” for two months.
NBCDFW reports the teen’s parents told police Kavanaugh had been living with them. There is no information yet as to why or how that living situation came to be.
However, Kavanaugh confirmed her “sexual relationship” with the teen during her interview with police. She was arrested for the sexual assault of a child.
She remains in police custody at Denton County Jail with a bail of $10,000.
Lauren Kavanaugh was only 8 years old when she was found starving, beaten and locked in a tiny, urine-soaked closet
In June 2001, Kavanaugh was rescued from the sexual and physical abuse of her mother and stepfather, Dallas News reports. She’d been repeatedly raped, starved, and tortured from the age of 2 to 8.
She was found living in the closet of the family’s mobile home weighing only 25.6 pounds. Her mother and stepfather were sentenced to life in prison.
Even years later, the “Girl in the Closet” still seemed to be making headlines. Kavanaugh was profiled by The Dallas Morning News in 2013 and appeared on Dr. Phil in 2017.
During a 2013 interview, she said:
“She was supposed to be my mother, and she treated me like crap.”
Rebekah Mullins, a licensed professional counselor intern at The Counseling Place in Richardson, told NBCDFW that abuse victims carry a disadvantage in life.
She said:
“Sometimes we see for victims of abuse, they go on and have difficulty with relationships or unhealthy relationships because they don’t know how to have healthy relationships.”
Lewisville Police believe Kavanaugh may have had more victims. They are encouraging parents to contact them if their children were in any sort of communication with Kavanaugh via Facebook.
