Woman Accused of Holding Stepson Captive for 20 Years in House of Horrors Released From Custody After Posting $300,000 Bail

Mar. 15, 2025

Kimberly Sullivan posted bail on Thursday.Photo:Waterbury Police Department via AP

Waterbury Police Department via AP

The Connecticut woman accused ofkeeping her stepson locked in a room for 20 yearsis no longer in custody.

Prosecutors argued that Sullivan should be placed on house arrest or be made to wear an electronic monitoring device should she post bail, but the judge declined to make either of those conditions part of her release.

Sullivan will have regular check-ins while out on bail as is standard and is due back in court of March 26, Kaloidis tells PEOPLE.

She is accused of keeping her stepson locked in a room inside their Waterbury home for over 20 years.

Now 32, the young manmade his escape after setting a fire in his bedroomusing a lighter, some hand sanitizer and paper.

The victim told detectives that his father and stepmother allegedly decided to remove him from school after multiple calls were made to the Department of Children and Families about his behavior.

Waterbury Police Department/Facebook

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The man, who has not been publicly identified, arrived at the hospital after the fireweighing just 68 lbs., and later alleged he had not showered in close to two years and had been subsisting on just two sandwiches a day for a decade, according to the warrant.

Both police and DCF spoke about the case on Thursday morning after some questioned if authorities did enough to protect the victim.

Waterbury Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo said during a press conference that officers had not been to the boy’s home since 2005, when DCF requested they do a welfare check.

Meanwhile, DCF Commissioner Jodi Hill-Lilly said in a statement on Thursday that the agency was “unable to locate any records pertaining to this family,” noting that all unsubstantiated records are expunged after five years.

Through her attorney, Sullivan is maintaining her innocence.

“We would urge the public not to rush to judgment in this case, to please keep in mind that she is presumed innocent unless and until if ever, the state can prove otherwise at trial,” Kaloidis said in a statement to PEOPLE. “These allegations are horrific and she intends to defend them vigorously. She is innocent. And we intend to follow this case through until she’s vindicated.”

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

source: people.com