ST. PAUL — A St. Paul man is accused of holding a woman he met online against her will and repeatedly assaulting her.

A criminal complaint filed in Ramsey County District Court says Ryan Abernatha began talking with the 29-year-old woman on Facebook and arranged for her to travel from North Dakota to meet him. The woman told police Abernatha repeatedly attacked her, choked her and wouldn’t let her leave his apartment for 10 days.

According to a press release, the woman eventually messaged a friend on Facebook asking him to rescue her. That man called police. The complaint says Abernatha told officers who responded that no one was at his place, but the woman got out and went to officers.

Abernatha has denied holding the woman against her will or hurting her.