Kidnapper forces woman to dance at a strip club and beats her, Kansas police say

A violent kidnapper is accused of forcing a woman to dance at a strip club and taking the money, Kansas police say.

The woman was reported missing from Oklahoma three weeks ago.

Gary Ballard, 29, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, repeatedly hurt the 23-year-old woman and drove her to Cherokee County, Kansas, in the southeast corner of the state, according to a news release. He refused to let the woman contact her family, police said.

After detectives got a tip that the woman might be in area, they found her Thursday night at a strip club, police said. They say Ballard forced her to perform at the strip club while taking the money.

“The man who is suspected of repeatedly and violently hurting this woman before transporting her across state lines for the purposes of making him money has a violent past including a conviction of shooting with intent to kill in Oklahoma,” Cherokee County Sheriff David Groves wrote in the news release.

Ballard is charged with aggravated human trafficking and aggravated kidnapping.

“This case illustrates the importance for people to know there are resources available to help get them out of dangerous, violent or abusive relationships and situations,” Groves wrote.

This story was originally published December 27, 2019 at 1:36 PM with the headline "Kidnapper forces woman to dance at a strip club and beats her, Kansas police say."