What happened to Tanya Kach? Details about The Girl Locked Upstairs subject explored
Tanya Kach, an American woman, was held captive for 10 years by Thomas Hose, a security guard at her middle school in McKeesport, Pennsylvania. Hose befriended the eighth-grade student and gained her trust, leading her to run away with him in February 1996. He kept her confined on the second floor of his parents' house. In 2006, Kach finally escaped and alerted the police.
The complete story of Tanya Kach is documented in the movie titled The Girl Locked Upstairs: The Tanya Kach Story on Lifetime. Directed by Simone Stock, the movie was first released on June 8, 2024. The official synopsis of the movie reads,
Tanya Kach, 14, has been feeling isolated and lonely. Her school's security guard, Tom Hose, befriends her and manages to lure her to his home and hold her captive for over a decade.
What is the story of Tanya Kach?
Tanya Kach was born on October 14, 1981, and hailed from the city of McKeesport, Pennsylvania. She was a student of Cornell Middle School in McKeesport, where Thomas Hose worked as a security guard. As per a New York Times article, published on March 24, 2006, Thomas started luring Tanya when she was in eighth standard.
Eventually, in February 1996, 14-year-old Tanya Kach ran away with Thomas Hose. According to the New York Times, Thomas didn't have a house of his own and used to live with his parents and son. To prevent them from knowing his secret, Thomas entrapped the young girl in the second-story bedroom of their house.
For the first few years, Tanya was completely restricted to the bedroom on the second floor. Thomas prevented her from even using the toilet, and she was forced to use a bucket. As per NBC News, after being completely captive for four years, Tanya Kach was released from her second-floor confinement in 2000.
Thomas introduced Tanya to his parents and girlfriend under the false name of Nikki Allen. He allowed her to leave the house occasionally, but only when his parents were away. He told them Nikki was his new girlfriend and was moving in with them. Tanya was also allowed to visit church and run errands, but had to return home before Thomas did.
In a CBS News interview, Tanya shared her experience.
"It's the brainwashing and the mind control. He trained me back then and gave me specific instruction on where to go, what to do, when to come back."
As per CBS News, without letting Thomas know, Tanya eventually started working at a local convenience store. This was completely unknown to Thomas, and she kept working in the store, sneaking out of the house. Eventually, she befriended the owner and devised her plan to escape. Tanya eventually revealed her true identity to the shop owner Joe Sparico.
It was in March 2006, when Tanya Kach devised her plan to escape. As per NBC News, Joe's son was a retired police officer, who recognized Tanya's disappearance case. Eventually, the police officers were informed, and retrieved Tanya from her house, and Thomas was arrested.
Tanya was eventually reunited with her estranged father Jerry Kach, and mother Jo-Ann Kach. However, as per a WTAE article, published on July 25, 2012, Tanya's parents detested taking her back, blaming her equally responsible for her fate.
What happened to Thomas Hose?
As per an ABC News article, published on June 26, 2007, Thomas Hose was arrested in 2007, and found guilty on multiple charges. Tanya revealed she was sexually assaulted by Thomas, while she was held captive.
As per the ABC News article, Thomas Hose was charged with se*ualy assault, indecent assault, involuntary deviate se*ual intercourse, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, and corruption to the custody of a minor child. He was sentenced to 5 to 15 years in prison.
It was in 2022, when Thomas Hose was released from prison, after serving his complete sentence of 15 years. He was declared as a sex offender by the Pennsylvania State Police.
What happened to Tanya Kach after the incident
As per a People article, published on October 8, 2012, it was on September 2018, when Tanya Kach got married. Based on her experiences, she went on to write a memoir titled Memoir of a Milk Carton Kid: The Tanya Nicole Kach Story which became a New York Times bestseller.
Tanya shared her personal experiences in a conversation with CBS News, published on June 6, 2024. Tanya revealed her decision to advocate for the minor girls, who are brainwashed and sexually assaulted by criminals. Reflecting on the Lifetime movie The Girl Locked Upstairs: The Tanya Kach Story, she said,
"Yes, it is in my heart to raise awareness. Because I don't want this happening again. I don't want this happening to another young girl. If I can prevent this from happening, I'm more than happy. That's why I agreed to this, is to help people," she added, "You know, and it takes a lot of strength and a lot of faith to keep it out there."
Tanya shared that even after 18 years of fleeing from her abuser, she is still in therapy. She pointed out that there are many people from our everyday life, who though are not physically shacked, however, they are mentally controlled by their abusers.
To know more about the case, watch The Girl Locked Upstairs: The Tanya Kach Story on Lifetime.
