ISIS leader raped American hostage Kayla Mueller, officials say

U.S. counter-terrorism officials report that Kayla Mueller, an American humanitarian worker who died earlier this year after being taken hostage in Syria, was repeatedly raped by top ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Mueller’s family confirmed the information, which they received from officials in June, to ABC News on Friday.
Baghdadi reportedly "personally brought" Mueller, 26, to the house of Abu Sayyaf, a Tunisian in charge of gas and oil revenue for the Islamic State, where she was then imprisoned and repeatedly sexually assaulted by Baghdadi when he visited Sayyaf for meetings. These new revelations dispel rumors that Mueller had cooperated with ISIS or was willingly Baghdadi's spouse.
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