Longview couple charged with forcing teen to work

SEATTLE — A Longview couple have been charged with forcing a teen to work in their home for free.

A federal grand jury in Seattle indicted 29-year-old Edk Kenit and 31-year-old Choimina Lukas last week on a charge of forced labor and attempted forced labor. Both are nationals of Micronesia, an archipelago east of the Philippines, as is the 19-year-old woman they’re accused of enslaving.

Prosecutors say the two forced the teem to perform chores and child care in their home without compensation over a period of 11 months. Kenit is accused of sexually assaulting the teen, and investigators say Lukas confiscated her passport and other documents to try to keep her from fleeing. The teen eventually escaped.

It was not immediately clear if Kenit had obtained a lawyer. An attorney for Lukas did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

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