I escaped a religious cult led by my dad — he kidnapped and assaulted members, but I still love him

A trans-woman has spoken for nan first clip of really she escaped an evil cult led by her begetter who kidnapped and raped chap members.

Yaya DeCloud, 42, was calved arsenic a antheral connected December 14, 1981.

She was forced to unrecorded successful a compound of 30 group known arsenic nan ‘DeCloud family’ who seldom ventured retired into nan wider community.

Her begetter Nelson DeCloud, 73, was a erstwhile constabulary serviceman and belief leader of nan group which he utilized to fulfill his ain intersexual urges.

He died successful nan Southeast Correctional Center, Missouri, successful 2014 while serving a 220-year condemnation for kidnapping, felonious restraint, rape and forcible sodomy.

Yaya claims her dada would usage nan “bible to manipulate” nan organization and moreover did truthful down bars until she escaped successful December 2000.

Yaya is speaking retired for nan first clip astir life successful nan cult wherever she endured beingness and affectional abuse.

Yaya, a trainee adjacent support specialist, from Chicago, Illinois, said: “There were 30 of america surviving connected a commune, we ne'er ventured retired into nan community.

“We had our ain religion work and would ne'er time off nan property.

“My dada controlled everything, we saw him arsenic nan expert from God , immoderate he said aliases did came from God.

“My dada would beryllium a very temperamental person, he was very strict.

“I americium judge he loved america but if we did 1 point incorrect he would rustle up.”

Yaya was calved in1981 and lived successful nan DeCloud organization until she escaped pinch her sister successful December 2000.

Yaya said surviving connected nan commune was “tough” and “strict” but it was each she and her family knew.

She said: “My Dad ever wanted ‘The Family’ to look to beryllium spotless and supra reproach.

“I person heard a batch of unspeakable things that my Dad whitethorn person done. 

“He was controlling and he did usage nan Bible to manipulate and power us. But present is nan thing, I really deliberation he believed what he said. 

“He was raised confederate Baptist and my Grandpa was a preacher successful Kansas City.”

Yaya and her siblings attended schoolhouse connected nan commune and would study maths and English for illustration immoderate different child.

She said: “We had a curriculum, we would beryllium successful schoolhouse during nan time clip and my sisters would beryllium nan teachers.

“We would study a normal program for illustration maths, English and science.”

After Nelson was imprisoned successful 1993 for kidnapping, felonious restraint, rape and forcible sodomy.

Yaya claims that he would still power nan family from situation by sending letters and having telephone calls pinch her mom and grandma.

Yaya said: “My dada made a codification expanse that was for pagers truthful we could pass pinch each different and pass each different of danger.

“Because we didn’t person compartment phones astatine that clip and that was really my dada could pass pinch my grandma without anyone being capable to trace us.

“We stayed successful hiding until I ran distant successful 2000, that was different awesome logic we left, we weren’t allowed to person immoderate friends.”

In December 2000, Yaya and her 2 sister’s saved up $40 dollars from their $5 play allowance and near nan family compound.

Yaya said: “My sister ended up getting 1 of her feline friends successful California to get america a edifice successful Jefferson City, Missouri.

“Everyone successful nan compound was dormant and we wrote letters to our family members to show them we were sorry and we had to leave.

“I retrieve nan nighttime truthful vividly, nan roads were slippy and we kept slipping and falling.

“We had a taxi waiting for america to return america to a hotel.”

When her dada died successful 2014, Yaya was capable to spell sojourn him successful situation to opportunity goodbye and really she still loved him.

She said: “When it came down to it he was my Dad and I still loved him.

“All of his kids isolated from 1 were there.

“When we each sewage there, we each said our goodbyes and formed a circle and prayed for him 1 past time. 

“We each went retired to eat and past went our abstracted ways”

After her dad’s decease and nan break up of her marriage, Yaya came retired arsenic trans successful 2019 and now lives life arsenic her ‘true self’.

She said: “I didn’t commencement surviving arsenic a female until 2019, it was thing that was ever there.

“I realized I was trans erstwhile I was 13/14 but it was thing I ne'er acted upon.

“I americium presently azygous and surviving my champion life – I couldn’t beryllium happier.”