Husband on Trial for Domestic Assault and Kidnapping of Wife.

A Council Bluffs, Iowa, man is currently on trial in a case that has gained international attention. The man, Travis Frey, is accused of tying up his wife and sexually assaulting her. He is facing first degree kidnapping charges and faces life in prison if convicted.

The case gained notoriety primarily because of evidence about a bizarre sex contract Frey allegedly gave to his wife. The full contents of the contract are available at The Smoking Gun. The document is titled a "Contract of Wifely Expectations" and it establishes "guidelines" for Frey's wife in terms of hygiene, clothing, and sexual activities. A few of the highlights:

Hygiene & Self-Care:

You will shave every third day, which includes underarms, chest, legs, and pubic area (navel to anus), all areas are to be completely shaven. Above your vaginal slit you may have a patch of pubic hair in any shape, that must be centered above your vaginal slit, it will measure no greater than 2.0"X1.0", and will maintain a hair length of less 1/3".

Sleepwear & Sleeping:

When we are at home, and alone as a family, you will be naked within 20 minutes of the kids being in bed, and then sleep naked, unless instructed otherwise. If I am not home when the kids go to bed you are still to be naked before I return home. The only exception will be during your menstrual cycle.
When we are not at home, or not alone as a family, you will try to ensure that we sleep together. If we do sleep together you will sleep naked. I will make exceptions for sleepwear, but only if you do not ask for them. Exception will be given based on how well you follow this contract in its entirety. . . .
When exceptions are given the following is acceptable and is your choice: T-Shirts, pajama tops, or gowns as long as the over-all length is not past your knees. Panties (any type) can be worn also. Absolutely no bottoms, shorts, pajama pants, or full gowns can be worn.
. . .

My Time:

When we are at home and alone as a family, from when you are to be naked until 12:00 am, or for three hours, whichever is later, will be My-Time. This time will be, time you will devout (sic) solely to me, whereas you will be in my service to do anything and everything I want, which may or may not be sexual in manner.
. . .
During My-Time you --
WILL NOT:
1) Argue about anything with me or to me.
2) Complain about anything to me, or about me.
3) Cry, sob, whine, or pout.
4) Sigh, moan, sulk, or otherwise show displeasure or unhappiness.
5) Raise your voice at or to me.
6) Be condescending to, or about me.
7) Ask for anything from me or for me.
8) Be distracted from me, by other things.
During My-Time you --
WILL:
1) Be subservient, submissive, and totally obedient.
2) To do what you are asked, when you are asked, exactly how you are asked.
3) Be cheerful and adoring towards me.
4) Be close at all times, unless otherwise told to.
5) Perform any and all sexual acts, excluding anal penetration and/or ingestion of [semen], when told to.

. . .
Fellatio, Intercourse, & Other Sex Acts:

Fellatio must last at least 5 min. and may include climax. Intercourse includes anal and vaginal intercourse. Sex Acts can be oral, anal, or vaginal, and include but are not limited too (sic): stripping, hand-jobs, fingering, masturbation, dildoing, vibrators, and object insertions. All applications of lube to myself, you, or any object, will be done by you.

The contract further provides that the wife can earn "good behavior days" for being compliant and performing "with complete and total enthusiasm." If the wife misbehaves or is noncompliant, she loses "good behavior days." Noncompliance specifically includes starting something and then not finishing "even if [the wife states] that [she is] in pain or something hurts." If the wife did not have sufficient "good behavior days" accumulated to "pay" for her noncompliance, the contract specifies that she would "be tied to the bed and [Frey] will do whatever [he] wish[es] too (sic) [her]." The wife also is required to apologize for the noncompliance and "explain how [she is] ready to be [his] sex slave again." The contract allows the wife to "redeem" good behavior days to "get out of" compliance on some days, as long as she provides sufficient notice of her intent to "cash in" a good behavior day.

The trial began this week and the victim took the stand on Wednesday to describe "in painful detail the events that led to her husband's arrest." She told of two "relatively minor incidents" that had led her to call a domestic violence hot line, then testified about the contract, and then testified about how she had been "noncompliant" on one night and Frey had restrained her arms with a rope and performed "a sex act" on her. Local television coverage has indicated that the "sex act" in question was actually anal penetration.

The case is continuing, and Frey was expected to take the stand in his own defense. If convicted, Frey faces life in prison. Oh, and he also faces charges in an "unrelated" case in which he faces 40 counts of "sexual exploitation of a minor" based on pornographic images found on his computer in which he superimposed the faces of his wife and her younger sister onto the bodies of children.

**UPDATE -- March 31, 2006:
On Thursday, March 30, 2006, Frey took the stand in his own defense. His testimony depicted that he was "fixated on a certain sex act that he wanted his wife to perform," but he testified that he did not force it upon her. Frey testified that he asked his wife if he could tie her up, but that she said no. He testified that he "asked for a certain sex act and they tried it" but stopped because she was uncomfortable. He acknowledged drafting the "contract" but argued that it was just part of a sexual fantasy, was not enforced, and was "no big deal."

Closing arguments were made yesterday, as well. The prosecutor argued that Frey forced "the sex act" on his wife after she refused. The defense argued that no "attack" happened and that the event was merely "a playful sexual relationship that was not criminal."

**UPDATE: March 31, 2006:
Today the jury found Frey GUILTY of sexually assaulting his wife. The jury concluded that there was not sufficient evidence that Frey had tied his wife up, so they did not convict on the kidnapping charge; they concluded, however, that he had forced a sex act on her. The jury deliberated for approximately 4 hours before returning the verdict.

Pottawatttamie County Attorney Matt Wilber said, "I don't care if you're married or not. You can't sexually assault your wife."

Frey faces up to 10 years in prison for this conviction, and substantially more on the other charges for which he is still awaiting trial.

Links:
Omaha World Herald Second March 31, 2006 Article.
Omaha World Herald March 31, 2006, Article.
Omaha World Herald March 30, 2006, Article.
Omaha World Herald March 29, 2006, Article.
The Smoking Gun (Contract .pdf).

Frankie Can't Relax (February 21, 2006) (commenting on contract and providing Francesca's own humorous spin on the story)