Hidden girl 'had assumed new identity'

A teenage American girl who vanished a year ago and was found hidden in a room in a man's home in Connecticut assumed a new identity that made her part of his family, authorities said today, as they investigated whether he had inappropriate relationships with her and other girls.

The man, Adam Gault, 41, was arrested and charged yesterday in connection with her disappearance after police served a search warrant and found the missing 15-year-old girl locked in a hidden closet-like room in his house.

Gault, a dog trainer, was arrested with two women who lived in the house, 40-year-old Ann Murphy and Kimberly Cray, 26. The three were arraigned today, charged with conspiracy to commit unlawful restraint, conspiracy to commit risk of injury to a minor and interfering with police.

Gault's bond was set at $1m (€743,122). Murphy, who police described as Gault's common-law wife, was held on $750,000 (€558,547) bond. Cray's bond was set at 500,000 (€372,365). It was unclear if Gault had a lawyer.

Investigators believe the girl sometimes travelled out of state and assumed a new identity while living with Gault, of nearby West Hartford, Bloomfield Police Captain Jeffrey Blatter said.

"She was compelled to use a new name, to assume a new identity," Cpt Blatter said. "She did assume a name that would suggest she was part of that family."

The girl is not being identified because police are investigating if she was sexually abused. Authorities did not say how she altered her name.

Authorities said the girl, who vanished last June, had a history of running away from home.

Other girls may have experienced "something very similar to what's going on right now with this young girl" who was found yesterday, West Hartford police Captain Lori Coppinger said.

Police said Gault was associated with at least two or three other girls before police found the girl yesterday.

The cases involving the other girls have not been prosecuted because the frightened girls were reluctant to give statements necessary to pursue the cases. Police said they will be interviewed and additional charges may be filed against Gault.

"The case is definitely on-going," Cpt Blatter said. "There are obviously greater suspicions that are being pursued."

The teen had no obvious external injuries. Investigators would not speculate on what she might have experienced during the past year or if she was held against her will.

Blatter said the girl remained in protective custody today so investigators could continue talking to her.

"In reality, even in the best of circumstances it might not be in the child's best interest to go back immediately to their family," he said.

Gault was charged with unlawful restraint, reckless endangerment, custodial interference, interfering with an officer, risk of injury to a minor and forgery.

Ann Murphy, 40, described by police as Gault's common-law wife, was charged with conspiracy to commit reckless endangerment, conspiracy to commit custodial interference and risk of injury to a minor.

Kimberly Cray, 26, was charged with reckless endangerment, conspiracy to commit custodial interference, risk of injury to a minor and conspiracy to commit unlawful restraint.

Police said they had already established that Gault knew the missing girl, and said he and the girl's parents had some sort of undisclosed business transaction in the year before she disappeared.

Mobile phone records showed that Gault and the teen talked often before she vanished, police said.

"There was an inordinate amount of contact via cellular phone and then, during follow ups, there were a lot of other circumstances that led us to believe there was an inappropriate relationship," a spokesman said.

Officers had questioned Gault several times, but he always denied any involvement in her disappearance. They served a search warrant on his home yesterday morning seeking a DNA sample and other evidence.

The girl was held in a locked tiny room, about three-foot high by four-foot to five-foot deep. The doorway was hidden by a desk.

Police said it did not appear the girl lived in the hidden room, and that they did not find bedding or other items that would suggest it was used as living space.

Police were unsure how long she had been inside. They said she could not have opened the locked, barricaded door on her own.

A 15-year-old boy was also living at the house, though it was not clear whose child he was. The boy's case was referred to the Department of Children and Families, which also will decide if the missing girl should be returned to her parents.