A Nigerian couple based in Houston-area, Texas, United States of America, accused of enslaving a Nigerian woman to care for their five children and home without pay, faces up to 60 years in jail, if found guilty by a magistrate judge. Apart from not paying their nanny for two years, Chuddy and Sandra Nsobundu also seized the passport of the nanny, who has not been identified.

Chudy appeared in court on Tuesday after he and his wife were arrested a day earlier on charges of forced labour, withholding documents, conspiracy to harbour an illegal immigrant and visa fraud. He was granted a $5,000 bond.

A criminal complaint said the 38-year-old nanny was rescued last October following a tip to an anti-human trafficking group. The nanny said she was promised $100 per month but has never been paid in her two years in the U.S. She told investigators that the couple physically and verbally abused her.

In a report by Mail Online, the nanny said she was forced to work from 5:30 a.m. to 1.00 a.m. every day. She was made to clean, cook, and care for the children. The nanny also alleged that the family did not allow her to eat fresh food and that she was only allowed to eat leftovers from the family’s meals.