TROY, Mo. -- Four people have been arrested in a kidnapping case the suspects say was meant to teach a 6-year-old boy a lesson about stranger danger.
Lincoln County sheriff's deputies say the child was lured into a pickup truck by Nathan Firoved while walking home from school Monday. Once the child was in the truck, Firoved told him he would never "see his mommy again," and he would be "nailed to the wall of a shed." When the child started to cry, Firoved showed him a gun and threatened to hurt him if he did not stop crying.
Firoved bound the boy's hands and feet, covered his face and drove him around for a while.
While the boy was blindfolded, he was unknowingly taken to his home, where a family member removed his pants and told him he could be sold into sex slavery.
Deputies say the boy was left in the basement for some time before he was unbound and family members lectured him about stranger danger.
Three of the victim's family members-- Elizabeth Hupp, Rose Brewer and Denise Kroutil have been charged. Firoved works with one of the family members and says he was asked to kidnap the boy to "scare" him because he was "too nice."
The victim told school officials about the incident, and they reported it to the Division of Family Services.
The suspects told investigators they were trying to teach the boy a lesson and felt they did nothing wrong.
All four suspects are facing charges including felony kidnapping and abuse and neglect of a child. They are being held at the Lincoln County Jail on $250,000 cash-only bonds.
The child has been placed into protective custody.
Lincoln County sheriff's deputies say the child was lured into a pickup truck by Nathan Firoved while walking home from school Monday. Once the child was in the truck, Firoved told him he would never "see his mommy again," and he would be "nailed to the wall of a shed." When the child started to cry, Firoved showed him a gun and threatened to hurt him if he did not stop crying.
Firoved bound the boy's hands and feet, covered his face and drove him around for a while.
While the boy was blindfolded, he was unknowingly taken to his home, where a family member removed his pants and told him he could be sold into sex slavery.
Deputies say the boy was left in the basement for some time before he was unbound and family members lectured him about stranger danger.
Three of the victim's family members-- Elizabeth Hupp, Rose Brewer and Denise Kroutil have been charged. Firoved works with one of the family members and says he was asked to kidnap the boy to "scare" him because he was "too nice."
The victim told school officials about the incident, and they reported it to the Division of Family Services.
The suspects told investigators they were trying to teach the boy a lesson and felt they did nothing wrong.
All four suspects are facing charges including felony kidnapping and abuse and neglect of a child. They are being held at the Lincoln County Jail on $250,000 cash-only bonds.
The child has been placed into protective custody.
