LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (Legal Newsline) – Arkansas billionaire Terry Flaming faces a fourth lawsuit alleging that he and his companies created a human trafficking scheme.
Fleming and his PerfectVision, which makes telecommunications equipment and is one of Arkansas’ largest private companies, are accused by a 19-year-old Jane Doe of luring hundreds of young women into the scheme since 2012.
A lawyer helped Fleming entice women at strip clubs to visit Fleming’s residence, the March 2 lawsuit says, as did women already “ensnared in (Fleming’s) trafficking force field).”
“There would be talk of trips, yachts, art, including illegal ivory and coral at the Compound, lavish life styles and gifts,” the lawsuit says. “TF would say: ‘You have hit the jackpot now.’”
Three women sued Fleming between Dec. 24 and Jan. 21 but he has also filed two lawsuits of his own. One says his mental condition began to deteriorate after a 2015 breakdown, and a woman at a strip club took advantage by taking his money and using his credit cards.
The defendant, Kaylee Cathcart, became engaged to marry Fleming and moved into his house, where videos showed her having sex with other men.
Fleming’s alleged victims said he would hand out wine and marijuana while drugging women with Xanax, Klonopin and other drugs.
“TF knew that the combination of Xanax and alcohol facilitated his ability to rape the victims who were unlikely to even remember the event,” Jane Doe’s suit says. “Countless victims awoke at the compound with the feeling that they had blacked out or with minimal memory of what happened while realizing they had been sexually violated.”
Women hoping Fleming’s financial status would push them toward a better life would be cut off if they did not meet his demands, the suit says.
“TF intentionally tried to condition victims to focus on the financial assistance he offered to the exclusion of the blacked out horror of their sexual violation by TF,” the suit says.
Fleming resigned from PerfectVision in January, after the lawsuits surfaced.
Fleming’s lawyers filed a motion to dismiss on Feb. 11 in Corissa Withrow’s case, claiming she failed to show she was a victim of human trafficking.
“Plaintiff asserts no facts demonstrating a scheme, plan or pattern of behavior to cause her to believe that if she did not engaged in sexual activity with Fleming, she would suffer serious physical injury or physical restraint,” the motion says.
“While Plaintiff states, ‘There were certainly times when he was most demanding. Times when I did not feel free at all.’ This is not sufficient to establish a scheme, plan or pattern of behavior causing fear of serious physical injury or physical restraint.
“Plaintiff does not state that she could not leave. Indeed, according to Plaintiff, in 2020 she decided to terminate the relationship. Plaintiff makes no factual allegation of any negative repercussions as a result.”