Scott struggled, but was held down and handcuffed by the three men, gagged with
duct tape from ear to ear, and had his ankles tied with rope.
[6][9][10][11][12][13] As he lay face down and with his cuffed hands beneath his body, one of the men, weighing 300 pounds, sat on top of his back.
[5] Scott's legs, upper body and back had sustained multiple bruises and abrasions from being dragged to the van across stairs, floors and a patio.
[5]
Scott was driven to a beach cottage, where the rope around his ankles was loosened sufficiently to enable him to make steps.
[5][6][9][13] Ross and his partners walked him into the house, one of the men leading him on a
nylon leash, another holding his handcuffs.
[5] Ross and his partners had made the house a virtual prison; the windows were covered with thick nylon straps forming a mesh, to prevent escape.
[5] The two doors to the room where he was held were guarded.
[5] His captors also took his shoes and fitted the room with
motion detectors.
[5] According to
Shupe and Darnell's (2006) account of court testimony, Scott demanded that he be allowed to leave, and asked Ross whether he would try to make him change his religious beliefs.
[5] Ross was said to have replied that that was what he was paid to do.
[5] When Scott threatened Ross with criminal prosecution, Ross was said to have threatened Scott that he would handcuff him to the bed frame.
[5]
Scott testified that he then endured five days of derogatory comments about himself, his beliefs, his girlfriend and his pastor, and diatribes by Ross about the ways in which
Christianity and conservative
Protestantism were wrong.
[5][6] He was intimidated, forced to watch videos on cults and told his church was just the same.
[4][13] He said he was watched 24 hours a day.
[4] On every visit to the bathroom, he was accompanied by at least two men.
[5] Every day, Ross argued with Scott about matters of religion, without giving him a chance to say anything in return, often tapping him or hitting him on the head to underscore his points while Scott was being restrained or closely watched.
[5] Scott was told that he would only regain his liberty once the deprogramming had been concluded successfully and he had given up his beliefs.
[5]