KERSHAW COUNTY, S.C. — Kershaw County deputies say a man is facing charges after a woman was found drugged and held against her will inside a home.
Deputies with the Kershaw County Sheriff's Office responded to a call on Wildwood Lane in Elgin, SC, on Feb. 21, 2020.
When they got inside, they say they found a woman hiding in the caller's back yard. The victim stated she had been held against her will -- drugged and locked in a house on Smyrna Road -- for over a week.
She escaped the house and hid in a wooded area with temperatures in the mid-20s.
"She was not free to leave," says Sheriff Lee Boan. "She was kept inside of a room, they had the room locked up. The windows had dark blinds on it or either painted inside the the house."
KCSO served a search warrant at the Smyrna Road house and said they found all the windows covered or painted and padlocks on all of the bedroom doors. It was determined through our investigation that the victim was left there about a week ago by her boyfriend who owed money to the suspect, 45-year-old Demetrius McIlwain.
Two other victims were located at the Smyrna Road residence. Both of these victims stated they performed sexual acts with multiple people in return for drugs from McIlwain. However, neither of those victims would agree to accept help from KCSO.
The first victim was placed in a safe-house outside of Kershaw Count and FBI and SLED were called in for assistance on the case. The case is being investigated as a possible human trafficking incident.
McIlwain is charged with kidnapping with other charges pending. His bond was denied by a Kershaw County judge on Sunday, Feb. 23.
"He's the head of that snake that we are dealing with in Kershaw County so him being in jail without a bond," says Sheriff Boan. "We are a whole lot safer than we were Friday morning when this was first brought to our attention."
McIlwain has a criminal history including convictions for assault & battery with intent to kill, criminal sexual conduct with a minor, and first degree burglary. He was released from prison in 2018 after serving a 20-year sentence and is currently a registered sex offender in Aiken County.