8 Jun 2013

Kidnap accused faces 329 charges

1:55 pm on 8 June 2013

A man accused of imprisoning three women for about a decade in his home in Cleveland, Ohio, has been indicted to stand trial for rape and kidnapping.

Ariel Castro faces 329 charges, including 139 counts of rape, 177 of kidnapping, and three of assault, the BBC reports.

The 52-year-old also faces two counts of aggravated murder for terminating one of the women's pregnancies.

Michelle Knight, Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus were allegedly held by Ariel Castro for between nine and 12 years.

His legal team say he will plead not guilty to any of the charges.