Police: Husband Hired Wife's Rapist off Craigslist for Sexual Fantasy

June 4, 2009— -- Police in North Carolina are hunting for a man they believe raped a woman at knifepoint. The assailant, police say, was hired by the woman's husband through Craigslist to feed his sexual fantasy.

"She was definitely not a willing participant," Kannapolis Police Capt. Chuck Adams told ABCNews.com today. "The children were in a bedroom across the hallway, maybe 15 to 20 feet away."

Adams said the woman's husband Travis -- ABCNews.com is withholding his last name to protect his wife's identity because she is a sex crime victim -- responded to two Craigslist sex advertisements asking if the men would be willing to rape his wife, Adams said.

Travis, 25, has been charged with first-degree rape, two counts of first-degree sexual offense and attempted first-degree sexual offense. Adams said that even though Travis did not rape his wife, the laws allow for him to be charged with the crime for allegedly soliciting someone else to carry it out.

The Craigslist ads, Adams said, did not advertise rape-for-hire, but one of the men agreed.

Adams said the advertisements, listed in Craigslist's oft-criticized "adult services" section were "very lewd." Adams declined to detail specifics of Travis' solicitation, but said he requested the would-be rapist to "come in in a way that would use a scare tactic."

"We believe it was part of a fantasy he had," Adams said.

In the early morning hours of May 31, Adams said, the hired assailant woke the 28-year-old mother of two and raped her at knifepoint while Travis watched. She called 911 around 2:34 a.m.

Now police are closing in on their rape suspect. Adams said that with the help of the Charlotte division of Secret Service computer experts, they have a "good lead" on a suspect who lives in the area.

Adams said that other than the emotional trauma of knowing her husband solicited her rape, the woman suffered no physical injuries. Though the rapist threatened to cut her with the knife, he never did, Adams said. The woman was treated and released from an area hospital after a forensic exam.

The woman, when reached by phone at her home, declined to comment, saying "I'm not talking to anybody."

Travis, who was employed by a Charlotte-based construction company, is being held at the Cabarrus County Detention Center in Concord, N.C., on a $200,000 bond. Court records do not list an attorney. He is next due in court June 30.

Adams said the couple's children, ages 1 and 4, were asleep at the time of the attack and there is no indication they knew anything was wrong until police showed up. The children are in their mother's custody.