(WWJ) -- An Oakland County man is facing assault and domestic violence charges after allegedly beating his homeless girlfriend who was living in his pole barn and only opened his house to her in an "alcohol-for-sex exchange," according to the Oakland County Sheriff's Office.
The sheriff's office says 58-year-old Vernon George Miller, Jr., of Brandon Township, has been charged with felonious assault and aggravated domestic violence stemming from an incident last week.
Authorities say the 53-year-old woman had been living in Miller's pole barn outside his home in the 2100 block of Seymour Lake Road in Brandon Township. She said she had known Miller for 40 years and had agreed to have sex with him, and in exchange he would buy her alcohol.
The sheriff's office believes the woman had lived in the barn for at least several weeks and had a relationship with him earlier.
But on July 21, after having sex with Miller, the victim told sheriff's deputies he became agitated and refused to buy her alcohol, as he had previously agreed. He began hitting her with his fist, hit her with a wooden baby/pet gate and stomped on her while she was on the ground.
The assault lasted about 30 minutes and left her bloody and bruised, authorities said.
The victim suffered cuts to her head and face, four broken ribs and a broken ankle. The woman escaped Miller's home by crawling out of a window. She hid in a vehicle in the pole barn and called police after Miller went to work.
She was hospitalized for nearly a week, the sheriff's office said.
"Certainly, it is never acceptable to commit a violent act against another person, but this situation is all the more disturbing," Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said in a press release. "It brings in elements of forced servitude and trafficking. We are pleased he is being held accountable for his behavior."
Miller, who has had several prior contacts with law enforcement, according to the Oakland County Sheriff's Office, was arraigned Saturday. He is free after posting 10% of his $25,000 bond. He is due back in 52nd District Court on Aug. 2.
Per conditions of his bond, Miller is not permitted to have any contact with the victim or to return to his home. He must wear an electronic tether to monitor his whereabouts and is prohibited from leaving the state without permission from the court. He also must refrain from using alcoho and must contact pretrial services every week.
The sheriff's office says Miller was convicted in 2004 in both Oakland and Genesee Counties of fleeing and eluding -- fourth degree, and pleaded guilty in Wayne County to a drug charge in 2020.
A domestic violence charge was filed against Miller in Oakland County in 2018 when he was accused of assaulting a woman, but the charge was dismissed when she refused to cooperate with prosecutors.
