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Alberta Woman Kidnapped After Flying to Atlanta for Modelling Gig

She'd been offered $15,000 and a flight by a man posing as a photographer.
Photo via Pickens County Sheriff's Office

A woman from Alberta was kidnapped and held for five days in a trailer in South Carolina after flying to Atlanta for a modelling job on May 18. The victim, whose name hasn't been released, has been described as being between 18 and 25 years old, and was able to escape by jumping out of a window, according to reports. Allegedly, the victim had been flown out to Atlanta for free and was offered $15,000 for a modelling job.

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The victim had reportedly been talking to Fred Russell Urey, who claimed to be a photographer, for two months on social media before taking the trip. She was allegedly picked up at the airport in Atlanta by Urey on May 18, according to CBC. They then drove toward South Carolina, stopping at a couple of hotels along the way where he showed her a few spots he wanted to photograph her. They finally arrived at his trailer in Pickens County, South Carolina several days later, located about two and a half hours from Atlanta. There, according to police, the Alberta woman was held against her will and sexually assaulted.

"On the third night, the suspect took the victim to his residence and once inside; he immediately used physical force to restrain her and threatened her safety as well as the safety of her family in Canada."

Police say she was forced to participate in "various sex acts to include bondage, oral sex, and sexual intercourse multiple times over several days."

Urey allegedly allowed the victim to contact her family in Canada under supervision, including via FaceTime, CBC reports. "The victim was able to silently mouth certain words as clues to her location and the identity of the suspect," police said. Her family clued in and contacted police in Canada, who then communicated with authorities in the US, leading to a police raid on Urey's trailer in South Carolina.

When police arrived, they heard screaming and glass breaking as the victim jumped out of a window to escape. During the raid, cops found "additional evidence corroborating the victim's statement that she had been physically tied with restraints," according to police. Meth was also found in the home, and Urey was arrested. He is being held on several charges, including kidnapping and first-degree criminal sexual conduct.

"Thank goodness our victim is fine. This had to be a harrowing experience for her," Pickens County Sheriff Rick Clark said at a press conference on May 25. "If it's too good to be true, it probably is. So do your homework. If you're buying a car on Craigslist or doing modelling, do your homework."

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