Contributed photo / Tyler Michael BensonA 32-year-old man from Ooltewah drugged, kidnapped and repeatedly raped a prostitute and held her hostage in his home until she was able to escape the next day, according to investigators with the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office.
Details from a criminal affidavit describe Tyler Michael Benson as a dangerous sexual criminal with a history of violence with prostitutes.
On the afternoon of July 19, Benson picked up a prostitute in Chattanooga and took her back to his home on Torbett Lane in Ooltewah, according to an affidavit from the sheriff's office.
Benson and the woman discussed payments amounts and types of sexual activity, according to the affidavit. The woman told investigators she does not usually go to clients' homes but was persuaded in this case, the document states.
The woman told investigators she fell asleep on the way to Benson's home and, when the two arrived, Benson ran into the house to get money to pay for the cab. The taxi driver then drove off, which troubled the woman because she and Benson had agreed on 10 minutes of oral sex.
Benson then locked the doors of the house behind them, blocked the doorway and told her "she was going to be his sex slave," the affidavit states, and Benson then allegedly forced the woman into the shower, according to the affidavit.
Benson then forced her to lie on the bed, where he asked for sex. The woman said she refused several times and told him no over and over. The woman told investigators she was "voluntarily forced," saying she was trying to survive and not be killed. The woman also said she screamed for help throughout the 18 hours she was held captive but no one heard her or came to her aid.
After the second time Benson raped her, according to her statements, the woman observed pink, white and peach colored pills in Benson's hand before he gave her a Coke Zero in a glass. The woman said she remembers a large amount of residue containing crushed pill fragments at the bottom of the glass. She then said Benson told her she had just been drugged with Seroquel.
The woman was then in and out of consciousness for most of the night and remembers waking up in the morning on the couch when Benson again asked for sex, she told police. Benson also told her "he was going to let her go today" but she felt like he was lying to her and she was still afraid he was going to kill her.
When the woman refused sex again that morning, Benson got angry and went to the bathroom. That's when the woman escaped out of the front door and found a mail carrier in front of the house.
The mail carrier saw her fleeing and called the police after the two made it safely to a nearby church, according to the affidavit.
A deputy who arrived at the scene reported it did seem like the woman had been drugged and that she seemed to be under the influence of a controlled substance. The woman was then taken to Erlanger hospital for examination of possible injuries.
A second detective observed at the hospital that the woman was having physical pain in the abdominal area and other places, the affidavit states.
The woman was discharged from the hospital at 6 p.m. the next day and told deputies she would like to press charges against Benson for kidnapping and rape after she identified him as her abuser when deputies showed her a photo of his driver's license.
Benson was arrested at 7 p.m. after a search warrant of his house was granted. Before he was read his Miranda rights, police said, Benson blurted out, "You are not going to find any guns or drugs inside the house! I didn't rape or kidnap anyone!"
The scene at the house and in the master bedroom showed evidence that corroborated the woman's statements, including strands of long hair in the shower, a large amount of pills grouped together on the kitchen counter and residue from crushed pills on the counter, according to police.
Upon reviewing the evidence, investigators are charging Benson with aggravated rape, aggravated kidnapping, two counts of rape, aggravated assault, patronizing prostitution and possession of a legend drug without a prescription.
This wasn't the first time Benson had an incident with a prostitute, records show. In 2012, he was arrested for beating a known prostitute in the head with a hammer. He was later charged with especially aggravated robbery, aggravated assault and patronizing prostitution. He pleaded guilty to the aggravated assault charge and received a four-year sentence.
Contact Patrick Filbin at pfilbin@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6476. Follow him on Twitter @PatrickFilbin.