FAIRHOPE, Alabama—A Fairhope man was arrested Tuesday on felony charges of sexual torture, sodomy and domestic violence, and a misdemeanor charge of unlawful imprisonment.

On April 17, at approximately 2:30 p.m., the Fairhope Police Department responded to a complaint at an apartment in the 200 block of Spring Run Drive, according to an FPD news release.

The report came from an out-of-state caller, who claimed that an acquaintance had contacted him and reported that he was being held involuntarily.  Additionally, the victim was allegedly being subjected to repeated sexual assaults and torture, the release stated.

When officers arrived at the apartment, they contacted the suspect, identified as Robert Wendell Thompson, 47.  They also contacted the victim, described as a 45-year-old white male.

According to the initial investigation, the two met on-line and the victim travelled from out-of-state to meet Thompson.  They engaged in a consensual relationship, but at some point in the past several weeks, Thompson allegedly restrained the victim using a chain and lock.  During this time, the victim apparently had opportunities to contact friends and family via cell phone, but was in such a deep state of fear that he was unable to articulate his exact location and the true nature of his situation.  This fear also apparently prevented him from calling authorities.

According to investigators, Thompson allegedly kept the victim restrained against his will while subjecting him to various forms of abuse, including intentionally and repeatedly burning him with a cigarettes, forced drug use, injection of blood believed to be positive for the HIV virus, forced ingestion of vomit, and repeated sexual assaults.

Thompson was arrested and booked at the Fairhope Municipal Jail for felony domestic violence assault in the second degree, felony sodomy in the first degree, felony sexual torture, and unlawful imprisonment in the first degree, a misdemeanor.

If anyone has additional information, they are asked to contact Detective Charles Varnado with the Criminal Investigations Division of the FPD at (251) 928-2385.