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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A woman pleaded guilty Monday to federal charges of forced labor, admitting that she paid about $3,000 to have a Mexican woman smuggled across the border to be a pregnancy surrogate, WJAX reports.
Esthela Clark, 47, of Jacksonville, was arrested in 2015.
A criminal complaint obtained by WJAX said Clark kept the woman captive at an apartment for about two years.
Investigators said Clark tried to artificially inseminate the the woman with semen from her boyfriend’s used condoms with a syringe.
The victim told investigators Clark would sometimes inject her three to four times a day, according to court documents obtained by People.
The victim was also physically abused and Clark only allowed her to eat beans, causing the victim to lose 65 pounds.
Investigators also said Clark forced the woman to clean her home and work at various businesses.
A member of the Celebration Church saw the victim washing cars in very cold weather with insufficient clothing and called authorities, leading to Clark’s arrest, according to WKMG.
Clark was also indicted for human trafficking after the victim said Clark forced her to have sex with multiple men, but that charge was dropped as part of the plea deal, WJAX reports.
Clark could face up to 20 years behind bars. Source