Police filed more charges today against a former local Democratic official and her husband, both accused of being involved in satanic rituals that include shackling people to beds, caging them and depriving them of food and water.Joseph Scott Craig, 25, was charged with two more counts of second-degree kidnapping, according to arrest warrants filed today, and second-degree forcible sexual offense. They are added to the second-degree rape, second-degree kidnapping and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon for an incident in January and another in May.Joy Johnson, 30, a former third vice chairwoman of the Durham County Democratic Party and former vice chairwoman of the Young Democrats, was charged today with one extra count of aiding and abetting her husband.In the warrants filed today she is accused of “instigating and encouraging” her husband as “he handcuffed” a man and “forced him into a dog cage, leaving him there for hours, terrorizing him.”Johnson was charged Friday with two other counts of aiding and abetting.The accusations have set off shock and questions among local Democratic Party leaders and former co-workers of Craig’s. The two made an appearance in court Monday morning after spending the weekend in the Durham County jail.Mark McCullough, an assistant district attorney, urged Judge Nancy Gordon to increase Johnson’s bail to $500,000 from the $270,000 set by a magistrate. “Part of the allegations are that satanic worship is part of this case,” McCullough said.Gordon kept Johnson’s bail at $270,000. Craig’s bail remained at $500,000. Each was ordered to stay away from the accusers. Craig has been charged with beating a man with a cane and a cable cord and assaulting a woman with a wooden cane and raping her.McCullough would not release details of the allegations, but he added, “I don’t want to leave the impression this is a widespread thing.”Jeremy Collins, president of the Durham Young Democrats, has known Johnson for several years. After following the Duke lacrosse case and seeing the phony gang-rape charges dismantled and dismissed, Collins said he would reserve judgment until the facts of this case were revealed.“If it’s true, then it’s extremely unfortunate and a shock to all of us,” Collins said.During her time as a party official, Johnson was interested in trying to attract more young Democrats and get them involved in the political process, acquaintances say.Floyd McKissick, a state senator and a Democrat from Durham, said Monday that he had been told that Johnson had resigned her posts with the party. He, too, reserved judgment.“I was absolutely shocked and flabbergasted,” McKissick said. “You never would have suspected allegations that she would have had any participation in these rituals.”Johnson and Craig, along with Diana Palmer, first vice chairwoman for the local Democrats, are partners in a company called Indigo Dawn. The company’s Web site says Indigo Dawn offers products and services “to promote enlightenment and assist in the development and self-empowerment and divine potential.”Among the services offered, according to the Web site, are “intuitive guidance, past-life regression, spirit guide communication and healing and cleansing.”
