Prosecutors Tell a Tale Of Dog Cages, Beatings, Rape and Satan Worship

[Update] 7/1/08- Another person has been arrested in this case and more details about the original charges and allegations found here on a follow up piece.

At a bond hearing for Joy Johnson and Joseph Craig the prosecutor alleges that the crimes they are accused of are connected to Satan worship.

Craig's bond was set at $590,000 and Johnson's at $270,000 in a court in Durham, North Carolina, and they are charged with kidnapping, rape and assault with prosecutors alleging that the crimes involved a satanic cult.

The prosecution claims that the couple met another man and woman through a shared interest in Satan worship and from there they describe crimes involving being shackled to beds, dog cages, starving the couple, beatings with a cane and a cord and raping the woman.

Although the meeting was mutual, the man and the woman assert that they never gave consent for physical abuse.

The assistant Durham County district attorney said, "This goes well above what they were interested in doing."

Craig was charged with the beatings and rape and Johnson was charged with aiding and abetting.

Johnson, who was third vice-chair of the Durham County Democratic Party and vice-chair for the Young Democrats, was charged with two counts of aiding and abetting. Prosecutors said she knew her husband planned the crime and watched as they were committed.

She has resigned her positions with the Democratic Party, said state Sen. Floyd McKissick, D-Durham.

The couple accused of these crimes run a business called Indigo Dawn Inc., which according to their website's "who we are", Johnson is a political, peace and social activist who has devoted her life to peace activism and searching for proactive means to bring about world peace.

The site also says that besides Johnson's former position as third vice chair of the Durham County Democratic Party, she also is president of the United Nations Association of Wake County, vice president of the Young Democrats in Durham County and last but not least, a member of the Human Relations Commission of Durham, N.C.

Craig is described on that same page as "Rev. Joseph Craig" and says he has always been fascinated with magick and anything related to the topic.

Both Craig and Johnson have been instructed by the court to have no contact with the alleged victims.

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