Man Charged After Woman Imprisoned, Tortured

Floyd Lee Cahoon, 44, of 2935 George Owen Road, is charged with first-degree kidnapping, first-degree rape, assault by strangulation, assault inflicting serious bodily injury and three counts of first-degree sex offense. He is being held in the Cumberland County Detention Center on a $250,000 bond.

Authorities said a 33-year-old homeless woman was taken last week to a Hope Mills residence that also houses the offices of Spur Tech Computers.

The woman told investigators that she was kept in padlocked chains and a dog collar for five days. She said her captor called himself her "lord and master," tied her to a door frame, forced her to perform sex acts and repeatedly beat her with his fists and a leather belt, authorities said.

"This young lady was tortured," said Debbie Tanna, a spokeswoman for the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office. "She was extremely petrified. She had been in his hold for several days. She was dehydrated and malnourished, had lots of bruises and contusions (and) just a lot of mental trauma."

The woman was treated at Cape Fear Valley Hospital and released Thursday.

The woman's ordeal ended by sheer accident, authorities said.

Deputies stopped at Cahoon's home early Thursday to question him about an unrelated case -- authorities have declined to provide details about that case -- and asked him if anyone else was in the house.

"They were standing at the door talking to him. They asked if there was anyone else in the building they should know about, and he dropped his head," Tanna said. "At that time is when the lady popped her head up."

The deputies spotted the woman in the next room, where she was found naked and restrained to a couch, authorities said. She could barely speak when she was released, authorities said.

Neighbors were stunned by the allegations, saying Cahoon usually kept to himself but seemed friendly.

"There's nothing that stood out about him. He was a computer guy," neighbor Wayne Egan said.

Cahoon has no criminal history, but authorities are concerned other women might have been victimized before.

"We're hoping, if there are other women out there that have met him and had a similar experience, they'll come forward," Tanna said.