The defendants, formerly husband and wife, are Egyptian nationals who purchased the victim from her parents in Egypt. The agreement specified that the victim would participate in a “10-year sponsorship”, and the victim’s parents would receive 30 USD per month. The agreement was made after the defendants’ threatened to turn over the victim’s sister, who had been working for the defendants, and would be accused by them of stealing, to the Egyptian police. The defendants used a fraudulently-obtained temporary visitor’s visa to bring the victim – then 10 years old – into the United States, in August 2000. The defendants controlled the victim’s passport at all times while she was in defendants’ custody.

The defendants forced the victim to clean their home, located in a gated community in Orange County, California, and to cook and care for the defendants’ five children. The victim slept on a dirty, fold-up mattress in a small, windowless converter room in the defendants’ garage. The victim received no compensation for her 20 months of work. The victim was not permitted to attend school, or religious services. The defendants verbally abused the victim, and physically assaulted her on at least three occasions.

An anonymous phone call alerted authorities to the victim.