A family plans to press charges after two women said they were sexually abused at a local Halloween attraction.
Two sisters tearfully shared their story with NewsChannel 6. Alizabeth Townsend, 18, and McKenzie Townsend, 19, said they only wanted to experience a haunted house with a few spooks. However, they said at the end of a grueling two hour experience, they are coming forward to make sure no one ever goes to Plantation Blood again.
“It was awful. It was not a scary house. That was sickening. It was terrible,” said Alizabeth about her first haunted house experience.
The Wednesday night trip to Plantation Blood didn’t leave Alizabeth Townsend totally spooked. Instead, she said it left her with bruised wrists after being duct taped.
“He put something in his mouth and spat it in my face and then he duct taped me all around my body and it was so tight my chest was hurting,” she said.
The sisters told NewsChannel 6 they spent an hour in line for an experience they later learned was Extreme Night.
McKenzie told us more details about that night, which was her first night in a haunted house.
“She made me get on all fours. She slapped me in the face because I wouldn’t say yes mistress.”
What McKenzie told us next brought her to tears just thinking about what she said took place that night. It’s the moment she said the haunted house turned into sexual abuse.
She added, “And then she slapped me on the butt, multiple times.”
The sisters said they were oblivious to what Extreme Night entailed and they claim no one told them. The said they were called names, shoved in dark rooms for long periods of time all while being blindfolded for more than two hours. And they claim they did sign a waiver, but not the complete one. They said only the second page was shown on a clip board and they say no one verbally explained it.
“I stood in the hallway for a whole minute processing what happened to me and then I said cactus,” said McKenzie.
Cactus is the safe word McKenzie said she was told to say if she could not handle the night, but she said it went ignored.
Their mother took to social media afterwards and others quickly shared the story.
She also filed a Richmond County Sheriff’s Office case report. A deputy stated in the report that those who sign the waiver agree to the blindfold, water exposure, explicit language and physical contact. And the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the matter according to the report.
But Alizabeth and McKenzie have this message as they prepare to press charges.
“Don’t go at all. Don’t let your kids go.”
We spoke with one of the owners of Plantation Blood and he said they go through this type of allegation every year. He said Extreme Night is like an abduction. It’s an in you face type of hunt, he added. He said someone on staff verbally explained the waiver. He added that it is similar to MaKamey Manor.
He also said the mother of the sisters was verbally abusive to the manager on duty after being told there would not be a refund of $50 for both tickets.
Vickie Daman said she was at the ticket counter on Wednesday night and every night during the season. She takes IDs and presents the waivers.
She told NewsChannel 6 nobody intentionally touched McKenzie Townsend inappropriately. she added that no men were left alone in a room without a female staff member. She said security walks through the haunted house and hides in sections of the rooms to watch. She admitted that there is cussing, belittling and verbal abuse during Extreme Night only and that people are warned about that behavior in the waiver. Both girls said they did not read over the entire waiver, but did sign what was a one paragraph page.
Daman said everything the girls said probably did happen because it is covered in the waiver. However, she said no one spit bodily fluids on the girls or hit anyone on the butt.
She added that on the night of the accusation, the manager on duty questioned each actor at Plantation Blood and all of them said they did not sexually abuse the girls.
We also spoke with Beverly Taylor who is the Director of Plantation Blood.
She said she asked the girls if they read the waiver or just signed it. She said she does not remember their response, but many people that night did not read the waiver. She said that is why she went over the waiver and told the group the safe word, which was cactus. She said no part of the waiver includes getting hit on the butt. After speaking with all staff, that allegation was denied according to Taylor. As for the spitting accusation, she said it is a spray bottle filled with blood. She said it creates an illusion that makes people think they are spat on. She said duct tape is used around clothing and clear plastic wrap is put around the arms. She does not believe that it would have left bruising unless Alizabeth was trying to escape. A total of nine people were let go due to the use of the safe word.
