Gay man was ‘assaulted and held captive for four days because of his sexuality’

A man was beaten and held hostage for four days because of his sexuality, a court has heard.

The alleged victim, who is 50, was held against his will in a Massachusetts flat, prosecutor Dylan Krasinski said on July 2.

Police have charged Jackson Sugrue, 19, with a hate crime in connection to the alleged assault, which has echoes of Zak Ostmane, a 35-year-old French LGBT activist who was drugged, raped, beaten and held hostage for two days before risking his life to get free last year.

The victim was allegedly refused food or water (Pexels)

Meghan Kelly, a spokeswoman for the Middlesex District Attorney’s office, said Sugrue also stood accused of intimidating a witness and using anti-gay slurs, according to The Boston Globe.

The alleged victim told police that he was using drugs with Sugrue on the Wednesday, but when he tried to leave, the teenager refused to let him go, the Associated Press has reported.

Sugrue then struck the victim multiple times and refused to give him food or water, the alleged victim added.

The teenager has denied the charges (Flickr/bloomsberries)

He told police that he managed to escape the flat on the Saturday night.

The 19-year-old has had his bail set at $1,000, ordered to stay away from the alleged victim and also told to avoid the Philadelphia Baptist Church in Framingham.

Authorities have not clarified how the church is involved.

Sugrue’s attorney rejected the alleged victim’s assertions in the arraignment hearing yesterday, saying that his client was actually the victim.

Sugrue allegedly struck the victim multiple times (Pexels)

He added that the 50-year-old man was trying to take advantage of Sugrue.