W’burg couple arrested for kidnapping, sex abuse, robbery

A Williamsburg husband and wife are facing kidnapping and sex abuse charges in connection with an alleged New Year’s Day incident.

Hugh E. Roark, 52, and Tonya Roark, 43, of North Sixth Street, pleaded not guilty to charges of kidnapping, first-degree sexual abuse, second-degree robbery and fourth-degree assault during their arraignments Tuesday morning.

Whitley District Judge Fred White set a $100,000 cash bond in each of their cases, and ordered that they wear an ankle-monitoring device if they are released from custody.

White also appointed the public advocate’s office to represent them and set a Jan. 23 preliminary hearing in their cases.

Williamsburg Police Sgt. Brandon White served the couple with arrest warrants about 8:06 p.m. Monday at their residence.

According to the arrest warrants that were taken out by the victim, the incident happened at the couple’s residence about 2:30 p.m. on New Year’s Day.

According to the warrant, the couple allegedly forced the victim into the bathroom of their home where they made her strip off all of her clothing.

Hugh Roark then allegedly told his wife to get a glove and check the victim’s “woman parts.”

The couple allegedly kept the victim nude in their bathroom for over two hours, and pushed, screamed at and touched her while she was nude, the warrant stated.

When the victim was finally let out of the bathroom, the couple allegedly emptied the victim’s purse and took between $460-$500 from her wallet, the warrant stated.

Both Hugh and Tonya Roark were lodged in the Whitley County Detention Center.

(Editor’s note: The News Journal has a policy of not publishing the names of victims in sexual assault cases.)