>>> STARVED, BEATEN AND HELD
CAPTIVE IN THE ATTI
>> THE ABUSE WAS SO SEVERE THAT
HIS RESCUE FROM A HOME EIGHT
INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES.>>
TONIGHT, THE COURAGEOUS
SURVIVOR IS TELLING HIS STORY
TO 7 ACTION NEWS REPORTER KIM
RUSSELL .
>> THIS YOUNG MAN WAS NOT JUST
ABUSED.
HE WAS HELD CAPTIV, LOCKED IN
AN ATTIC BY HIS MOM AND HER
BOYFRIEND FOR YEARS.
IT WAS TORTURE SOMEONE NOT
SURVIVE AT CURTIS MILLER IS A
BRAVE YOUNG MAN WHO NOW IS
SPEAKING OUT.
>> YOU LITERALLY TOOK MY SOUL
AWAY FROM ME.
>> SINCE HE WAS RESCUED, CURTIS
MILLER IS TELLING HIS STORY.
HE SAYS THIS NIGHTMARE STARTED
WHEN HIS MOM TOOK HIM AWAY FROM
HIS DAD IN DETROIT AND GOT A
NEW BOYFRIEND.
TO HIDE, THEY PULLED HIM OUT OF
SCHOOL AND MOVED TO ESCANABA.
>> TO HEAR HE WAS WITH HIS MOM
BUT BEING ABUSED, THAT WAS
DEVASTATING.
TROLL LOOKING AT THIS SCHOOL
PICTURE OF A SMILING LITTLE
BOY, YOU WOULD NEVER IMAGINE
HIS MOM WOULD DO THINGS TO HIM
THAT SHE END HER BOYFRIEND ARE
IN PRISON FOR.>> I FELT LIKE I
WAS STRIPPED OF MY IDENTITY.
>> Reporter: THE HOME HE LIVED
AND LOOKED LIKE MANY OTHERS BUT
BEHIND THESE DOORS, CURTIS
LIVED IN UNIMAGINABLE
CONDITIONS.
HE WAS BEATEN, RAPED BY HIS MOM
AS HER BOYFRIEND WATCHED AND
FORCED TO LIVE ALONE IN AN
UNHEATED ATTIC.
THIS IS A PICTURE FROM POLICE
OF THE ATTIC WHERE THEY WOULD
LEAVE HIM FOR 23 HOUR STRETCHES
. ONLY ONCE A DAY WAS HE
ALLOWED OUT TO EAT A MEAL OF
RICE OR OATMEAL ON THE STAIRS.
WHEN I LEFT, TO ENSURE HE DID
NOT LEAVE, THE DUCT TAPED HIS
LEGS.
HIS MUSCLES WASTED AWAY.> I
FELL ON MY KNEES WHEN I TRY TO
GO TO THE BATHROOM.
>> Reporter: HIS MOM AND
BOYFRIEND GAVE HIM ONE BATHROOM
BREAK A DAY.>> THEY CAUSED
RASHES TO BUILD UP ON MY BODY.
>> Reporter: HE WAS NOT JUST A
PHYSICAL PRISONER, HE WAS A
PSYCHOLOGICAL PRISONER.
HIS MOM AND HER BOYFRIEND
CONVINCED HIM HE HAD TO STAY IN
THE ATTIC BECAUSE OUTSIDE,
PEOPLE WERE WAITING TO KILL
HIM.
WHEN POLICE CAME KNOCKING ON
THE DOOR, HE WAS TERRIFIED.
INVESTIGATORS RELEASED THIS
PICTURE TAKEN AS THEY FIRST
ENTER THE ATTIC. THEY ARRESTED
HIS MOM AND HER BOYFRIEND WHO
ARE NOW SERVING UP TO 50 YEAR
PRISON SENTENCES.
THEY TOOK CURTIS TO THE
HOSPITAL AND WENT TO WORK TO
FIND HIS DAD.
>> WHEN WE FIRST GOT THAT PHONE
CALL, I THOUGHT THIS WAS GOING
TO BE HELL ON EARTH.
>> Reporter: MISSY PARKER
MILLER WHO HAPPENS TO BE A
SOCIAL WORKER HAD JUST MARRIED
CURTIS'S DAD.
THEY TRY TO FIND HIM BUT ALWAYS
THOUGHT HIS MOM WAS CARING FOR
HIM.
THESE ARE PICTURES OF CURTIS AS
HE WAS REUNITED WITH HIS DA
WHO COULD NOT BE THERE FOR THE
INTERVIEW.
THEY SOON BROUGHT HIM TO THEIR
HOME IN DETROIT.
IT WAS NOT EASY.
>> HE WAS VERY ANGRY AT HIS
BIRTH MOTHER AND HER BOYFRIEND.
HE WAS TAKING THAT ANGER AND
RAGE OUT ON EVERYBODY AROUND
HIM.>> WHEN I FIRST CAME DOWN
HERE, I THOUGHT THAT EVERYTHING
AROUND ME WAS A THRE AND I
HAD TO PROTECT MYSELF.
>> I WAS REALLY SCARED.
>> Reporter: MISTY AND CURTIS'S
DAD FOCUSED ON HELPING HIM
LEARN HOW TO HEAL AND GET AN
EDUCATION.
>> BECAUSE I WAS ISOLATED FROM
PEOPLE FOR FIVE YEARS, MY
SOCIAL INTERACTION IS VERY
AWKWARD.
>> Reporter: THIS YEAR, CURTIS
GRADUATED WITH A 3.5 GPA
UNIVERSITY PREP HIGH AND SPOKE
ABOUT ALL HE OVERCAME BEFORE A
CROWD.
>> THANK YOU.
[ APPLAUSE
>> Reporter: A CROWD THAT
HONORED HIM AS HE WAS AWARDED A
$10,000 SCHOLARSHIP AND NAMED
THE NATIONAL EXCHANGE CLUBS ACE
OF THE YEAR.
CURTIS WANTS TO SHARE HIS STORY
TO HELP OTHER CHILDREN WHO HAVE
SURVIVED ABUSE AND WHO INSPIRES
FAMILIES TO TAKE THEM IN AND
HELP THEM.
HE SAYS HE IS FOREVER GRATEFUL
TO HIS STEPMOM FOR STANDING BY
HIM.
HE FINALLY FEELS LOVED AND SAFE.
>> APPRECIATION AND RESPECT AND
GRATITUDE. WHENEVER I GET A
CHANCE, I TELL HER THANK YOU
FOR HELPING ME TO OVERCOME WHAT
THEY WENT THROUGH.
>> CHILDREN WHO HAVE BEEN
ABUSED AND WHO HAVE BEEN HURT,
THEY CAN HEAL. IT IS A
WONDERFUL THING TO SEE THAT
HAPPEN.
>> Reporter: THERE ARE 13,000
CHILDREN IN FOSTER CARE IN
MICHIGAN AND 300 WAITING FOR
ADOPTIVE FAMILIE
CURTIS'S ADOPTIVE MOM AND
CURTIS SAY THEY HOPE THEY
INSPIRE FAMILIES TWO THOSE KIDS
IN, GIVE THEM LOVE AND HELP
THEM SUCCEED LIKE CURTIS HAS.
KIM RUSSELL, 7 ACTION NEWS .
>> IT IS AMAZING THAT THEY
FOUND HIM.
>> TREMENDOUSLY SAD AND TRAGIC.
WITH THE HELP AND SUPPORT, LOOK
WHAT THAT YOUNG MAN HAS
ACCOMPLISHED.>> THINK GOODNESS
THEY COULD FIND -- THEY