Police say Michael Swanson and his ex-wife Nicole allegedly beat, sexually abused and stole from two intellectually disabled women. One of the victims was allegedly kidnapped by the pair and moved to Florida with the Swanson’s family after having Michael’s child. NBC10’s Deanna Durante reports.
Warning: This story contains graphic details of alleged sexual abuse and could be disturbing for some readers.
A Delaware County man is accused of sexually abusing two women with intellectual disabilities, impregnating one of the victims, and cutting them off from their family members while stealing their benefits. The suspect’s ex-wife is also accused of sexually abusing and beating one of the victims.
Michael Swanson, 41, and Nicole Swanson, 37, of Chester, Pennsylvania, were arrested and charged with rape, involuntary deviate sexual assault, aggravated indecent sexual assault of a person with a mental disability, kidnapping to facilitate a theft and conspiracy.
Get top local stories in Philly delivered to you every morning. >Sign up for NBC Philadelphia's News Headlines newsletter.
The investigation began on Jan. 3, 2024, after the family member of a 30-year-old woman who is intellectually disabled reached out to law enforcement.
Investigators learned the 30-year-old woman was introduced to Michael Swanson through a friend, a 27-year-old woman who is also intellectually disabled. At the time, the 27-year-old was pregnant with Swanson’s child, according to investigators. Both women knew each other from their special education program at Chichester High School.
Swanson and the two women entered a sexual relationship, investigators said. Based on their mental capacity, both women were incapable of consenting to a sex, according to officials.
Local
Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood.
Swanson persuaded the 30-year-old woman to move out of her father’s home in Linwood, Pennsylvania, after claiming her father was stealing her Social Security benefits, investigators said.
The 30-year-old woman then moved into Swanson’s home in Chester where his ex-wife, Nicole Swanson, and their seven children also lived along with the 27-year-old woman and the homeowner.
In February 2023, the 27-year-old woman gave birth to Michael Swanson’s child, officials said. A report was made to social services due to the woman’s disability as well as Swanson’s previous cases, according to investigators.
In July 2023, Michael Swanson moved the two victims, Nicole Swanson, his seven children and a fourth woman to a double-wide trailer in Tallahassee, Florida, investigators said. A witness told officials that Swanson moved to Florida because he was concerned about social services investigating his involvement with the 27-year-old woman and their child.
While in Florida, the 30-year-old woman was beaten by Nicole Swanson, the fourth woman, and the children, investigators said. A video of the attack was recorded and sent to the victim’s family, according to officials. After receiving the video, the victim’s sister was able to locate her and remove her from the situation, investigators said.
The 30-year-old victim was interviewed on Jan. 10, 2024, and on Feb. 7, 2024, at the Child Advocacy Center of Delaware County. The 30-year-old told investigators she was sexually assaulted by Michael Swanson approximately twice per day and was told not to tell anyone about what was happening. Swanson allegedly took away the victim’s cell phone as well as her food card, checks, money and insurance card.
Investigators also said the payee was changed on the victim’s Social Security card to Michael Swanson in June 2023, using the address for his home in Chester. Nicole Swanson also repeatedly sexually assaulted the 30-year-old woman, according to officials. The homeowner told the victim that he was able to view the sexual abuse from the camera feed from inside and outside the home, officials said.
Michael Swanson was then arrested and extradited to Pennsylvania.
Officials then began to investigate the alleged abuse against the 27-year-old woman and interviewed her on March 11, 2024, at the Child Advocacy Center in Lancaster County, South Carolina.
Investigators determined Michael Swanson engaged in numerous sex acts with the 27-year-old woman while they lived in the Chester home. Paternity testing also confirmed Swanson is the father of the 27-year-old woman’s child and the payee on the victim’s ID benefits was changed to Michael Swanson, officials said. The victim also said both Michael Swanson and Nicole Swanson recorded the sexual abuse, according to investigators. The victim told investigators Michael Swanson would take away her phone as punishment and that she was afraid of Nicole Swanson because “she beat people with her fists.”
Officials used funds from a federal grant that supports the fight against human trafficking to relocate the 27-year-old victim and her child to South Carolina where she currently resides with family members.
Michael Swanson was arraigned with bail set at $900,000 in the case involving the 30-year-old victim. His bail has not yet been set in the case involving the 27-year-old. Nicole Swanson was arraigned with bail set at $1 million in the case involving the 30-year-old victim. Both suspects were remanded to the George W. Hill Correctional Facility.
Officials also said additional charges may be brought by authorities in Florida against both suspects. They also said federal authorities may pursue charges against Michael Swanson for allegedly stealing the victims’ social security benefits.
“It is difficult to comprehend the truly heinous actions of these defendants. The defendants knowingly exploited two intellectually disabled young women. They used them for their sexual gratification, and stole their benefits,” Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer said. “They attempted to hide their conduct by cutting off contact with the victims’ families, and went so far as to remove the women to Florida to evade detection. Defendant Michael Swanson impregnated one of the victims and brought a child into this vile situation – joining seven other children fathered by Swanson. The members of law enforcement, the medical professionals, and the social workers who have worked on this case stand united in calling out the depravity of these defendants’ actions. They will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
NBC10 reached out to Nicole Swanson’s attorney who provided a statement on her client’s behalf.
“The affidavit in this case recites a convoluted series of allegations, speculation as well as hearsay from a 2016 unrelated case,” the attorney wrote. “The defense will investigate the substantial number of factual and legal issues including that the complaining witnesses seem to be legally incompetent. While the charges are serious, Ms. Swanson’s innocence is presumed until proven otherwise in a court of law.”
Online court records don’t list attorney information for Michael Swanson.
Resources for victims of sexual assault are available through the National Sexual Violence Resources Center and the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 800-656-4673.
