Tanya Kach: Lawsuit dismissed, dismissal being appealed

It's been 2 1/2 years since Tanya was found, but apparently things are not over yet.
From http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/valleyindependent/teenscene/s_588336.html:

Tanya Kach's lawyer to appeal case dismissal
By Jason Cato
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Monday, September 15, 2008
A lawyer for a former McKeesport student who
went missing for a decade and surfaced as a kidnapping victim today filed a
notice of appeal, intended to dispute a federal judge's dismissal of claims she
made against her captor's employers.
Tanya Kach went missing in February 1996
and resurfaced in March 2006, after escaping the home of Thomas Hose, who worked
as a security guard for St. Moritz Security Services at the McKeesport Area
middle school she attended. Kach, 26, of Elizabeth filed a federal lawsuit in
September 2006 against Hose for holding her captive. The lawsuit also named as
plaintiffs McKeesport city and police officials for failing to properly
investigate her disappearance; McKeesport school officials for knowing of her
relationship with Hose and failing to stop it; and St. Moritz for failing to
properly train its employee.
U.S. District Judge Gary L. Lancaster dismissed
parts of the lawsuit in April 2007. On Friday, the judge dismissed the remaining
claims, following oral arguments in which a defense lawyer asked that the case
be dismissed because too much time had elapsed.
story continues below
The
defense claimed the clock started when Hose and Kach began a romantic
relationship, not when she resurfaced in 2006.
Lancaster, although
sympathetic toward Kach's plight, granted the defendants a motion of summary
judgment.
"(Kach) was victimized not only by an adult who preyed on her, but
by the many adults who failed her," Lancaster wrote in a 23-page memorandum.
"Yet, these circumstances cannot overcome the strong legal precedent supporting
the enforcement of statutes of limitations."
The judge did not rule on other
issues for dismissal raised by the defendants.
Kach's attorney, Lawrence
Fisher, this morning filed notice that he intends to take the matter before the
3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia.
Hose, 50, was not included
in the decision. He is serving 15 years on state charges stemming from Kach's
disappearance. He has never responded to Kach's lawsuit. Kach, at age 14, ran
away Feb. 10, 1996, to live with Hose, who was then 37 and worked as a guard at
her school. She claimed Hose kept her captive until she began gaining some
freedoms and told her story to a local deli owner, who called police.
Kach
testified that Hose kept her in an upstairs bedroom for four years before
allowing her to start coming out when his elderly parents weren't home. In 2005,
he changed Kach's name to Nikki Allen and began introducing her to people as his
girlfriend.
Jason Cato can be reached at jcato@tribweb.com or 412-320-7840.

Tanya Kach: Hairdresser sentenced to prison

Well, it seems that this case has almost wrapped up, at least when it comes to courts. (There is still the lawsuit.) After that, perhaps, Tanya can continue trying to lead a normal life again.
From http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/news/14712703/detail.html:

Pittsburgh Hairstylist Who Helped Disguise Runaway Tanya Kach Gets Jail
POSTED: 7:48 am EST November 28, 2007
UPDATED: 5:32 pm EST November 28, 2007

PITTSBURGH -- A woman accused of helping a 14-year-old girl change her looks so she could run away and live with a McKeesport man was sentenced to jail time on Wednesday, even though she said she didn't deserve any.
Judith Sokol, 59, of Duquesne, pleaded no contest to aiding and abetting statutory sexual assault, corruption of a minor and related offenses. Allegheny County Judge John Zottola gave her a six- to 23-month sentence on Wednesday morning.
Police said that Sokol, a hairdresser, helped alter Tanya Kach's appearance by cutting and dyeing the teen's hair in February 1996, and that she knew about and facilitated sexual encounters between Kach and Thomas Hose.
Sokol's actions helped Kach live undetected for years with Hose, who was a security guard at Kach's middle school, prosecutors said.
Last year, at age 24, Kach left Hose and told her story to a local business owner, who notified police.
"It's absurd," said Sokol's son, Brandon. "They twisted and turned everything on her."
In September, Sokol said she didn't deserve to go to jail, and that her side of the story would come out after sentencing.
Sokol had no comment for reporters while being led out of the courtoom in handcuffs on Wednesday.
Before handing down Sokol's sentence, Zottola told her attorney that Sokol "has some explaining to do" because she acknowledged what she had done when police interviewed her but denied it to probation workers in a presentence report.
The defense attorney said Sokol has short-term memory loss and has been hospitalized in the past for health problems and sometimes gets confused.
"She cuts millions of people's hair. She doesn't ask for name, rank and serial number. I'm not even knowing that she cut her (Kach's) hair," said Brandon Sokol.
Kach's attorney, Lawrence Fisher, said Sokol may have pleaded no contest but she never apologized.
"It's one thing to say, 'I think I'll be found guilty.' It's quite another thing to say, 'I'm terribly sorry for what happened,'" said Fisher, who represents Kach in an ongoing
lawsuit against Hose and various McKeesport officials.
Hose, 49, is serving a five- to 15-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to statutory sexual assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and related offenses.

Tanya Kach: Thomas Hose pleads guilty, sentenced to 5-15 years

From http://www.wpxi.com/news/13570623/detail.html?rss=burg&psp=news:

Man Accused Of Harboring Runaway For Decade Pleads Guilty
Hose Allegedly Held
Kach Captive In His Home
POSTED: 10:13 am EDT June 26, 2007
UPDATED: 5:44
pm EDT June 26, 2007
PITTSBURGH -- 3:40 PM UPDATE: Below are excerpts from
former Tanya Kach's statement read in court on Tuesday:
-- "You took away my
innocence, my childhood, made me think my family didn't want me or love me, that
no one cared for me or loved me but you."
-- "For 10 years, you dominated
me, controlled me, what I ate, drank, what I wore. How I looked. How I acted.
It's so sad to say, but I was a puppet, nothing but a puppet."
-- "Mark my
words, I will let people know in due time exactly what you've done to me. I want
people to know what kind of monster you really are."
-- "I am standing here
a complete, changed person. ... Remember how you always used to say to me, 'Oh
you're just a pretty face. You're stupid. You're not going to get anywhere in
life. You're nothing without me.' Well, let me tell you I'm not so stupid. I got
my GED in seven months, just finished my first semester in college with very
good grades. I plan on making a success out of my life. I plan on going places
and I'm going there without you."
-- "The main thing I want to do is help
protect children and women from men like you."
2:30 PM UPDATE: Judith Sokol,
hairdresser accused of aiding Hose, pleaded no contest to reduced charges.
A
former school security guard accused of keeping a teenage runaway in his home
for a decade and having sex with her pleaded guilty to all charges he faced on
Tuesday and will spend five to 15 years in prison.
Thomas John Hose, 49, of
McKeesport, took in the then-14-year-old girl and, for a decade, kept her from
leaving the tiny home he shared with his parents and son, prosecutors said.
Tanya Nicole Kach, now 25, has said the two regularly had sex during the
time she was in the home.
Find out what happened inside the courthouse
tonight at 5 on Channel 11.

The full text of Tanya's statement, from http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07177/797258-85.stm:

Text of Tanya Kach's victim impact statement
Tuesday, June 26,
2007
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The following is the text of a hand-written
victim impact statement that Tanya Kach read to Judge John A. Zottola before
Thomas Hose was sentenced to five to 15 years in prison for sexually assaulting
her when she was under the age of 16 and not informing adults of her
whereabouts.
I just want to know why you did what you did to me for ten
years. Why? You took away my innocence, my childhood. Made me think my family
didn't want me or love me, that no one cared or loved me but you. Made me think
that you were the only one in the world for me.
For ten years you dominated
me, controled me, what I ate, drank, what I wore, how I looked, how I acted.
It's so sad to say but I was a puppet. Nothing but a puppet. I really don't know
if I can ever forgive you for what you've done to me. But mark my words, I will
let people know in due time exactly what you've done to me. I want people to
know what kind of a monster you are.
But there's some things I want to let
you know. I am standing here a completely changed person. I'm not that dominated
puppet anymore. I am a very independent woman who has a lot of self confidence.
Remember how you always used to say to me. "Oh your just a pretty face. Your
stupid not going to get anywhere in life, your nothing without me."
Well let
me tell you I'm not so stupid. I got my GED in 7 months. Just finished my first
simester in college with very good grades. I plan on making a sucsess out of my
life. I plan on going places. and I'm going there without you. But the main
thing I want to do is help protect children and women from men like you.
I
know that God granted me the strength to get through what I endured from you for
a reason. now you get to know what it's like to need that kind of strength. but
you don't get to ask for it. Because I get to say to you what you've said to me
so many times quote "Shut up I'm talking" end quote and don't ever forget God
hates ugly.

The trial was supposed to take place in May but had to be postponed as Thomas Hose was at a state hospital (see http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18353467&BRD=1282&PAG=461&dept_id=182121&rfi=6).

Tanya Kach: Suspect to undergo mental health evaluation, treatment

From The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

Thomas Hose committed to Mayview
By The
Tribune-Review
Friday, March 2, 2007
A former school security guard accused of keeping
a girl captive in his McKeesport home for 10 years was committed Thursday to
Mayview State Hospital.
Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Kevin G.
Sasinoski ordered Thomas Hose, 48, to undergo a mental evaluation and treatment
at the hospital in South Fayette. Hose attempted suicide by stabbing himself
hours before he was to go on trial Feb. 13.
Hose was on house arrest while
he awaited trial on charges of statutory sexual assault and involuntary deviate
sexual intercourse for the 1996 disappearance of 14-year-old Tanya Kach, who is
now 25. Kach emerged March 21 from what she called a decade in captivity and
told her story to a McKeesport deli owner, who called police.

Tanya Kach: Suspect hospitalized, trials postponed

You will notice that there is a section in the index of this blog marked "Trial Watch". I had meant to follow the trials of the suspects in the cases of my missing people who have since been found. I have not been very good at posting updates in this area, and I hope to do better in the future.
Story from http://www.courttv.com/news/2007/0212/hose_ap.html:

Updated Feb. 12, 2007, 3:44 p.m. ET
Lawyer: Defendant stabbed himself just before trial for sex crimes against
runaway
PITTSBURGH (AP) — A man stabbed himself just before he was to go on
trial Monday for sex crimes against a runaway who said she was secretly hidden
in his home for a decade, his lawyer said.
Thomas John Hose, 49, was
hospitalized Monday morning after he was found bleeding in his home, defense
attorney Jim Ecker said.
"He stabbed himself several times and he supposedly
took some kind of medication," Ecker said before a judge issued a gag order in
the case. He said he received a call from Hose's mother earlier Monday saying
Hose was "sitting on a chair with blood coming out of him."
Hose is charged
with counts including involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and aggravated
indecent assault. A judge set a new trial date of May 14 and ordered that Hose
be given a psychiatric evaluation.
The trial of Judith Sokol, a 58-year-old
beautician who prosecutors say helped Kach run away and change her looks, also
was postponed to May 14. Both Hose and Sokol have pleaded not guilty.
Trial
was also supposed to start Monday for Judith Sokol, a 58-year-old beautician who
prosecutors say helped girl run away from home and change her looks. It was not
immediately clear if Sokol's case would begin.
The runaway, Tanya Nicole
Kach, now 25, was discovered last year after she told a convenience store owner
she was on a missing person's Web site. The owner called police, and Kach told
authorities she ran away from home 10 years earlier and had been living in
Hose's house.
Kach, who has given several interviews about her ordeal, has
said that she met Hose when she was an eighth-grader and that Hose used
psychological tactics to keep her from leaving, including threatening to kill
her.
Hose, a school security guard, has contended that Kach was never
restrained in his home in McKeesport, a small city several miles east of
Pittsburgh.

"Missouri miracle" gives other families hope

**This post discusses Georgina DeJesus (Ohio), Jason Jolkowski (Nebraska), Cherrie Ann Mahan (Pennsylvania), and Tanya Kach (Pennsylvania), as well as Shawn Hornbeck and Ben Ownby (Missouri).**

If you've paid even a little bit of attention to the news this past week, you have heard the story of the miraculous recovery of Ben Ownby, who disappeared while getting off the school bus earlier this month, and the even more miraculous recovery of Shawn Hornbeck, who went missing while riding his bike in October 2002. But if by some chance you haven't, you can easily find the information online. One good post on it, although it focuses more on Shawn, is at http://findcarrie.blogspot.com/2007/01/discovery-of-shawn-hornbeck.html.

Anyway, logically, this news causes other people with missing loved ones to hope that maybe their family member can be found safe, too. I am posting here a few articles on just that, the renewed hope, which relate to people I have previously posted on this blog.
The first is from http://www.wkyc.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=61675&provider=gnews:

Finding missing children gives a Cleveland family renewed hope
Kristin Anderson
Created: 1/13/2007 5:31:06 PM
Updated:1/14/2007 5:46:45 AM
CLEVELAND -- The
Missouri case is bringing hope to many families with missing children, including
one on the West side of Cleveland.
Felix and Nancy have been glued to their
t-v for a week --- hoping, and praying for the missing boys and their families
in Missouri.
Watching them reunite is bringing a roller coaster of emotions.
"It's a miracle that they found these two young boys, I cried almost all
night," said Gina's Father, Felix.
"That gives us all, other parents, hope to stand up stronger and never give
up that hope because you never know, like now, you never know," said Gina's
Mother, Nancy.
In April of 2004, their youngest daughter, 14-year old Gina DeJesus
disappeared while walking home from her school, Wilbur Wright in Cleveland.An
intense search turned up nothing.
A year later the FBI released a sketch of a possible suspect, while the
community showed their support by building a mound of stuffed animals outside
Gina's window.
Her parents have never given up hope of finding their little girl alive,
just like the parents in Missouri.
"Amazing, it's hard right now for me to find the exact words I want to say,
my feelings, I know someday I know I'll go through it," said Nancy.
Gina's bedroom is now filled with angels, and candles that have been
burning since she disappeared.
Her dad is still wearing his special t-shirt that says in Spanish, "Go with
God."
As with the Missouri case -- Gina's parents encourage the community to call
in any tips that they might remember from April of 2004.
"Think, because anything that comes back to your mind may open this case
and break it open, that way we can bring my child home," said Felix.
Gina's parents say the FBI is still getting tips about her
whereabouts.
If you have any information about this case you can call the FBI or
Cleveland Police.
Gina's parents also say they're going to fight to keep sexual predators
locked up -- so they don't have the opportunity to strike again.

The next is from http://www.ketv.com/family/10754128/detail.html:

Missouri Boys' Discovery Fuels Hope For Omaha Mother
Kelly Jolkowsi Watches
Boys' Reunion With Interest
POSTED: 3:36 pm CST January 15, 2007
UPDATED:
5:16 pm CST January 15, 2007
Email
This Story Print This
Story
OMAHA, Neb. -- A local mother said Monday that the discovery of two
boys in Missouri gives her hope that she'll find her own son.
Jason
Jolkowski disappeared more than five years ago at age 19. His mother, Kelly, has
been tracking the case of Shawn Hornbeck in Missouri for years.
On Friday,
police found Hornbeck and Ben Ownby, 13, another missing boy, in the home of
41-year-old Michael Devlin. Shawn was 11 when he disappeared in 2002.
Devlin
has been arrested and jailed on $1 million bond. He was awaiting arraignment on
one charge of kidnapping but more charges are likely, authorities said.
"I
was shocked. I thought it sounded too good to be true," Kelly Jolkowski said on
Monday. "I did think that Shawn was most likely dead because of his age, and it
sounded like he was abducted, and it had been so long."
Jolkowski monitors
hundreds of missing persons cases through ProjectJason, the organization she founded that helps families
of the missing.
"You can't help but picture the possibility of your own
reunion in your mind, too," Jolkowski said.
Despite hefty reward offers and
all of her resources, Jolkowski and police still don't have a clue in Jason's
disappearance.
"It just seems to be the most clueless case I know of. A lot
of cases they have some indication of this happened versus that happened. But we
have no indication whatsoever," she said.
Jolkowski counsels people to be
aware of their surroundings.
"Look at the faces of the missing. You never
know if you might see them somewhere," she said. "When we hear about these
stories we know that just because they've been missing for awhile, even though
most people think the odds are against them, we still have hope."
Project
Jason helps families of the missing all over the United States, but Jolkowski
said that despite the number of missing people in the Omaha area, she rarely
gets calls from families in Omaha.

The next is from the Anderson Cooper 360 blog:

Monday, January 15, 2007
Have you seen Cherrie Mahan?
Their stories
are eerily similar, but only one, so far, has a happy ending.When Ben Ownby
disappeared in Missouri last week, Janice McKinney, a Pennsylvania woman, shed
some tears at the thought of what he and his family must have been going
through. Janice, after all, can relate. Her daughter, then 8-year-old Cherrie
Mahan, was kidnapped more than two decades ago after getting off her school bus,
just like Ben Ownby.Cherrie, who now would be 30 years old, hasn't been seen
since.Like in Ben's case, there was a witness who saw a vehicle. A student from
Cherrie's bus described a blue van with a snowcapped mountain and a skier
painted on the side of it. Investigators never found the van. Janice McKinney
lives with terrible guilt. It was the first time she hadn't picked up her
daughter at the bus stop. She had given her permission to walk the 300 feet from
the bus to her driveway.Next month marks the 22nd anniversary of Cherrie's
disappearance. She's happy that William Ben Ownby and another young boy, Shawn
Hornbeck, were found. Janice told me it gives her hope that one day she'll have
her little girl back too. "Twenty-two years later, I'm still searching for any
kind of answer," she said.As it turns out, Cherrie was the little girl who
helped put a real face on missing kids. Hers was the first to appear on those
"Have you seen me?" fliers you get in your mailbox.
Click
here for pictures of Cherrie
Posted By Randi Kaye, CNN Correspondent:
3:39 PM ET

So far 18 people have commented on that post--some with well wishes for Cherrie's family, others who have gone through similar experiences.

And finally, some of you may have already thought of Tanya Kach's story when you heard this wonderful news. She had been missing for 10 years until she disclosed her identity to a store clerk last March. Her perspective on the situation, as a former missing child herself, can be read at http://kdka.com/local/local_story_015151847.html.

All photos from the Charley Project (http://www.charleyproject.org/)

Tanya Kach: Suspect pleads not guilty

Finally, there is an update on the story of Tanya Kach. One nice thing about this particular article (from http://cbs3.com/pennsylvaniawire/PA--MissingWomanFound_d_n_0pa--/resources_news_html) is that it not only tells what is happening with the trial, but also how Tanya herself is doing. She will probably have a long road ahead of her, but hopefully she will recover in time.

Man pleads not guilty in decade-long runaway case
Thursday August 31, 2006
By DAN NEPHIN
Associated Press Writer
PITTSBURGH (AP) A man charged in the case of a woman who ran away from home as a teenager and lived with him for a decade pleaded not guilty at his formal arraignment Thursday.
Thomas Hose, who is free on bond and living with his parents, did
not comment on the case after the brief court appearance.
Tanya Nicole Kach, 24, came forward March 21 and told police she ran away from home 10 years earlier and had been living in Hose's house in McKeesport, a Pittsburgh suburb. Kach told police that Hose, who had been a security guard at her school, kept her in a bedroom in the small, two-story home where he lived with his
parents.
Hose's attorney, James Ecker, said his 48-year-old client is living
under house arrest, is unemployed and ``might as well be in a prison.''
``Mr. Hose is living the life of an involuntary recluse,'' Ecker said. ``He has done
nothing whatsoever. He can't go shopping. He can't do anything whatsoever. ...
It is not a very pleasant life, but it is better than the alternative, I can assure you.''
Lawrence Fisher, an attorney for the Kach family, called Hose's home confinement appropriate.
``He kept a woman captive in his home for 10 years,'' Fisher said. ``The few months that he's spending there is a cakewalk compared to the prison sentence he's got coming to him.''
Kach, who did not attend Hose's appearance, is making progress, Fisher said.
``She's expected
to get her GED within the month, which is well ahead of schedule. And we hope
that in the spring, she will be attending college,'' he said.
Fisher said he hopes Hose pleads guilty. Ecker said no plea bargains have been discussed with prosecutors.
``We hope that Mr. Hose will accept responsibility for his
actions, do what's right and spare this family the ordeal of a trial,'' Fisher
said.
Hose is charged with statutory sexual assault, three counts of
involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, two counts of indecent assault and one
count each of endangering the welfare of children, corruption of a minor,
interference with custody of children and aggravated indecent assault.
A pretrial hearing was scheduled for Oct. 13.

Previous posts on Tanya:
http://betweenlifeanddeath.blogspot.com/2006/03/tanya-kach-found-safe-after-10-years.html
http://betweenlifeanddeath.blogspot.com/2006/03/tanya-kach-both-suspects-out-on-bail.html
http://betweenlifeanddeath.blogspot.com/2006/07/tanya-kach-suspect-and-attorney-must.html

Tanya Kach: Suspect and attorney must return to court in August

(If you're not familiar with Tanya Kach's story, visit my previous posts at http://betweenlifeanddeath.blogspot.com/2006/03/tanya-kach-found-safe-after-10-years.html and http://betweenlifeanddeath.blogspot.com/2006/03/tanya-kach-both-suspects-out-on-bail.html.)
From http://kdka.com/topstories/local_story_173141319.html:

Jun 22, 2006 5:30 pm US/Eastern

Kach Case Suspect Appears At County Courthouse
(KDKA) PITTSBURGH
Thomas Hose, the McKeesport man accused of holding a teenage girl
psychologically captive for 10 years, was at the Allegheny Courthouse
today.
He was supposed to find out his trial date and who his judge will be, but
that didn’t happen.
Hose and his attorney Jim Ecker will have to return to the courthouse
August 28th.
Back in March, Tanya Kach, a 24-year-old runaway, alleged Hose, 48, kept
her against her will in his parents’ house for a decade.
Kach was a 14-year-old student at Cornell Middle School when she met Hose,
who worked there as a security guard.
Ecker says his client’s side of the story will come out in court.“We do
look forward very much to telling the other side of the story. All we’ve heard
for a long period of time on every national program there is is her side of the
story,” he told reporters.
Hose remains on house arrest and is wearing an ankle bracelet.
He has resigned from his job as a security guard and according to his
attorney, he’s waiting on his retirement check.
Late this afternoon, Tanya Kach's lawyer released this statement:"The Kach
family is disappointed by today's delay in the judicial process. Justice delayed
is justice denied. Nevertheless, we maintain every confidence that the Allegheny
County District Attorney will prevail to reveal Thomas Hose for the predator and
pedophile we believe him to be."

Indeed, it will be interesting to hear him try to explain keeping a then-teenage girl at his parents' house against her will for so long.

Tanya Kach: Both suspects out on bail

A week after she was miraculously found (yes, it is a miracle even if it was she herself who came forward), developments in Tanya Kach's case continued to make headlines.
For instance, a hairdresser was being sought as an accomplice, and I was happy to see that she turned herself in (http://kdka.com/topstories/local_story_086143911.html):

Hairdresser In Kach Case Turns Herself In
Judy Sokol charged as an
accomplice in the sexual assault
Lynne
Hayes-FreelandReporting

(KDKA) North Versailles A hairdresser was
arrested Monday on sex charges for her role in allegedly helping a middle-school
student run away with a school security guard accused of having sex with the
girl.Judy Sokol, 57, of Duquesne, was arraigned on charges of statutory sexual
assault and three counts of involuntary deviate sexual assault. She was being
held at the Allegheny County Jail on $10,000 bail.Sokol had been wanted in
connection with the case of Tanya Nicole Kach, who ran away from home in 1996
and said she went to live with Thomas Hose, who was 24 years older than her.
Kach resurfaced last week after telling a deli owner that she had been living
with Hose for the past decade against her will.In arrest warrants issued last
week, authorities said Sokol cut and dyed Kach's hair to help conceal her
identity in 1996. Sokol told authorities she allowed Hose and Kach to use her
home, where they had sex for the first time, according to her arrest
affidavit."The affidavit does not allege that she was involved in sexual
behavior with a minor," Sokol's attorney, Angela Carsia, told reporters after
the woman's arraignment.Under questioning from detectives, however, Sokol said
she knew Hose was involved in an "inappropriate" relationship with Kach,
according to court documents.A preliminary hearing for Sokol was scheduled for
April 3.Earlier Monday, a judge increased bail for Hose, 48, of McKeesport. Hose
can leave jail only if he posts $10,000 bail, up from $2,000, wears an
electronic monitor and stays away from Kach , the judge ruled.Kach told police
last week that she had been living with Hose for a decade. Hose was charged with
statutory sexual assault and three counts of involuntary deviate sexual
intercourse.Kach's parents reported her missing on Feb. 10, 1996 - the same day
she allegedly moved in to a house owned by Hose's parents.Stay with KDKA for
more information on this case.

Days later, however, something not so happy--both of them managed to raise $10,000 each for bail (http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06088/677609-55.stm):

Suspected captor of teen girl released to house arrest
Wednesday, March
29, 2006
By Jonathan D. Silver and Steve Levin, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Tony Tye, Post-GazetteThomas Hose walks past reporters
outside the Allegheny County Jail.Click photo for larger image.
Thomas J.
Hose left jail yesterday, stepped into his attorney's car and was chauffeured to
his parents' home in McKeesport, where he will remain under house arrest until a
hearing on charges that he molested a teenage runaway.
Earlier in the day,
Mr. Hose's accuser, Tanya Kach, was reunited with the McKeesport convenience
store owner in whom she confided her true identity and secret history last week.
Miss Kach, 24, told Joseph Sparico of JJ's Deli Mart that she was
masquerading as Nikki Allen and had been held in captivity for a decade by Mr.
Hose, a onetime security guard at Cornell Middle School.
Mr. Hose, 48, is
charged with statutory sexual assault and three counts of involuntary deviate
sexual intercourse. Police said he had carried on a sexual relationship with
Miss Kach since she was 14. A hairdresser named Judith Sokol, 57, has been
charged as Mr. Hose's accomplice.
Police have charged that Miss Kach
arranged in 1996 with Ms. Sokol to run away from home and stay at Ms. Sokol's
home before joining Mr. Hose at his house.
Investigators also charge that
Ms. Sokol cut and dyed Miss Kach's hair to change her appearance and allowed Mr.
Hose and Miss Kach to use her house to have sex.
Ms. Sokol posted her
$10,000 bond last night and was released from the Allegheny County Jail, her
attorney said.
Ms. Sokol, who surrendered to police Monday, was charged with
three counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and one count each of
statutory sexual assault, which applies to a person younger than 16; indecent
assault; endangering the welfare of children; and corruption of minors.
Although Mr. Hose has not been charged with imprisoning Miss Kach,
investigators accused him of keeping her as a psychological captive in the home
he shares with his parents and his son.
On Monday, Mr. Hose's bond was set
at $10,000 straight. The bond was posted that afternoon, and the pretrial
electronic monitoring that was a condition of bail was ready to go yesterday.
"I saw him this morning around 9:30, and he was very anxious to get out, as
you would be," defense attorney James Ecker said upon arriving at the Allegheny
County Jail. "He's looking forward to getting home with his mother and dad, who
are elderly and sick."
Mr. Hose walked out of jail around 1:30 p.m., looked
straight ahead and ignored reporters' questions.
A half-hour later, Mr.
Ecker pulled up in his black 2006 Cadillac at 1002 Soles St., the home of Howard
and Eleanor Hose. Neither attorney nor client spoke as they entered the house.
A few minutes later, Mr. Ecker emerged from the house and spoke briefly.
"He's home. He's very happy to be home," the attorney said, adding that Mr.
Hose embraced his parents upon entering the house.
A woman who answered the
phone at the home declined comment.
Mr. Hose's preliminary hearing is set
for April 6.
"It's pretty obvious there's two sides to every story," Mr.
Ecker said.
So far, Mr. Hose's side of the story has not been told, and Mr.
Ecker has declined to provide any details.
Wayne Washowich, president of the
McKeesport Area school board, described Mr. Hose as a popular employee.
"They liked him over there. They thought he was one of the greatest guys
around. My understanding was the kids all loved him, and the teachers all liked
him," Mr. Washowich said. "He was very polite. It's very confusing to
understand."
Parents of students at Cornell Middle School in McKeesport said
yesterday their children mentioned Mr. Hose by name to them even before his
alleged role in Miss Kach's disappearance and detention became public.
The
mother of an 11-year-old sixth-grader at Cornell, who asked not to be
identified, said her son told her Mr. Hose made a point of showing students that
he had money.
The son said Mr. Hose liked to flash a 3-inch-thick wad of
bills in front of students. He occasionally bought students lunches and seemed
to hover around the girls, the sixth-grader said.
"He was always tapping
them" on the shoulder, the boy said. "He would just tap them and then he walked
away."
The student also said sometimes the boys would be talking among
themselves when Mr. Hose would suddenly appear.
"You could be talking about
something and he'd come behind you and butt in," the student said. "He always
used to brag about his wife and his girlfriend and his son. He would say he buys
a lot of things."

I remember thinking back when his bail was only $2,000 (hey, it was just this week or last) that they really needed to succeed in raising it. Let's face it: most people have at least $2,000 sitting in the bank, and, if not, they could easily come up with it. Apparently it was about as easy for Mr. Hose to raise $10,000. We have yet to see whether wearing a tracking device and keeping his distance will really be enough.

TANYA KACH FOUND SAFE AFTER 10 YEARS

Miracles still happen, folks! This proves that, like Mr. Kach, we should never give up because people can still be found no matter how much time goes by.
Just imagine, I looked at Missing People board at Courttv.com, and right there, near the top, is "Tanya Kach, 14, missing 1996 - Found Safe". The post only had a little bit of the story, and when I went to the link I learned just how miraculous it was:

Girl Missing For 10 Years Shows Up Near Pittsburgh
Kach Was 14 When Last
Seen In McKeesport
POSTED: 11:39 am EST March 22, 2006
UPDATED: 5:24 pm
EST March 22, 2006
MCKEESPORT, Pa. -- McKeesport police said a woman who has
been missing for 10 years -- since she was 14 years old -- has been found safe.
Officials said Tanya Nicole Kach, now 24, was found Tuesday in
McKeesport.
Kach was reported missing on Feb. 10, 1996.
McKeesport police Officer
Joseph Pero said Kach was initially listed as a runaway, but her disappearance
turned into a missing person case.
Kach was reported to be in good condition
and is with family members in Pittsburgh.
Kach told Channel 11 news reporter
Karen Welles that she was held captive by a 37-year-old man.
The suspect
turned himself into police on Wednesday.
Kach said, "I thought I found
someone who loved me and he said he'd take care of me."
Kach said she was
held in a bedroom for 10 years. Kach insisted she wasn't physically or sexually
abused, but she said there was verbal and mental abuse.
"There were times
when I would threaten to leave and there were times he threatened to kill me,"
said Kach.
Kach said after four years of never leaving the bedroom, she was
finally allowed to go out once in a while, but she thinks she was brainwashed
into thinking her parents wouldn't want her back.
"I didn't want to be on
the streets because that's where I thought I'd be. I didn't think I had a home.
That was my home, that was my life," said Kach. "I didn't think anybody cared
because he would tell me, 'Your case is dead, it's cold.'"
Her father, Jerry
Kach, never gave up hope of finding her.
Jerry Kach said, "It was exactly 10
years, one month and 11 days and there wasn't a day that went by that I didn't
think of her."
Officials said the investigation is continuing, but would not
comment further.
Watch Channel 11 News and refresh this page for updates on
this story.

Story from http://www.wpxi.com/news/8186371/detail.html.
The story had a link to info about Tanya on the Charley Project, but I am not including it because I doubt that page will be up very long.
Another story I later found on From Whispers to Roars gives the details of how Tanya was found. (See the original at http://cbs3.com/pennsylvaniawire/PA--MissingGirlFound-dn/resources_news_html):

Suburban Pittsburgh woman found after running away 10 years ago
Wednesday
March 22, 2006
MCKEESPORT, Pa. (AP) A woman who has been missing for 10
years, since she was 14, was found safe after she revealed her true identity to
a convenience store owner, police said Wednesday.
Tanya Nicole Kach, now 24,
was found Tuesday in McKeesport, where she went missing on Feb. 10, 1996, city
Police Chief Joseph Pero said.
``She was initially listed as a runaway. It
turned from there into a missing person case,'' Pero said.
Joseph Sparico
said Kach had shopped at his convenience store for several months before she
told him Tuesday that her name wasn't Nikki Evans the name Sparico knew her by
and that she was unhappy with her living situation. Sparico's son is a retired
McKeesport police officer and recognized Kach's name.
Sparico notified
authorities, who reunited the girl with her family.
``She's in good
condition. She's with family members in the Pittsburgh area,'' Pero
said.
McKeesport and Allegheny County police were investigating the girl's
disappearance, but they didn't immediately offer other details.

Please, go back and look at the people I have posted on here, and at the many more on my index. At least half of them have not been missing as long as Tanya was, which means there is still hope! Also, please visit sites like the NCMEC, NCMA, and Charley Project (I have links posted to them) to see if there are missing people in your area that I have not listed.
Also, always try to observe their photos carefully, because the resemblance between Tanya and her age progression was not very obvious.

Photo of Tanya today from the WPXI article.
Photos from the Charley Project: Tanya around the time she disappeared; age progression that was done to show what she could look like today.