A church caretaker is accused of sexually assaulting a prostitute in a building belonging to a West Hartford church Tuesday morning after not paying her for her services.
Joseph Joiner, a 28-year-old church caretaker from St. John's Episcopal Church, solicited the woman for sex in Hartford and drove her to his church-owned apartment on Farmington Avenue in West Hartford on Tuesday morning, where the assault happened, police said.
At first, the two had consensual sex but things turned ugly turned when the prostitute sought payment for her services, police said.
Instead of paying the woman, Joiner forced her to have sex again and went to the extreme of blindfolding her, binding her hands and feet and locking her in a closet, police said. Then, police said, Joiner sexually assaulted her again.
Eventually, Joiner released the victim but threatened her not to report it, police said. She sought treatment at a local hospital.
Joiner was charged with assault, threatening, sex assault, patronizing a prostitute, kidnapping and unlawful restraint. His bond was set at $250,000.
