Kenneth John Freeman, 46, formerly of Richland, Wash., was sentenced today to 50 years in federal prison, announced James A. McDevitt, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington; Karin Immergut, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon; and Andy Miller, Benton County, Wash., Prosecuting Attorney.
Freeman had previously pleaded guilty to three federal crimes: two counts of producing child pornography and one count of interstate transportation of a minor for the purpose of engaging in unlawful sexual activity. Freeman also previously pleaded guilty to three counts of rape of a child in the first degree, in violation of Washington state law.
Freeman was also sentenced today to concurrent terms of 20 years in prison for the state crimes he committed.
Kenneth John Freeman sexually abused his daughter from May 2000 to July 2001, when she was 10 and 11 years old. The abuse occurred in both Washington and Oregon. He filmed the sexual abuse, and images of that abuse were distributed over the internet and have subsequently been disseminated internationally by countless people. Freeman fled the country in March 2006. Nine months later, he was profiled on the television program "America's Most Wanted." The show featured an interview with his daughter and a plea for him to surrender to law enforcement authorities. A detective with the Toronto Police Service saw the show and for the first time linked Freeman to the production of child pornography images and videos that were some of the most frequently downloaded in the world.
Based on this information, Freeman was immediately placed on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) and the U.S. Marshals' "Most Wanted Fugitives" lists, and he became the subject of a worldwide manhunt. A team of investigators from various law enforcement agencies, including the State Department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security, tracked Freeman to China.
On May 1, 2007, the pursuit ended when Hong Kong authorities arrested Freeman, who was a former reserve sheriff's deputy and former competitive bodybuilder, as he arrived at the city's bus depot to begin a holiday trip. Throughout the pursuit, special agents of the Bureau of Diplomatic Security and law enforcement authorities in Beijing, Suzhou, China, and Hong Kong were key players on the ground. Chinese authorities, unable to take any action against Freeman due to his valid visa, monitored his movements and notified U.S. law enforcement authorities of his intended travel to Hong Kong, which has an extradition treaty with the United States. Freeman ultimately consented to his extradition and agreed to be returned to the United States to face the charges. He was extradited to the United States in October 2007.
"Today's sentence of 50 years imprisonment is an important vindication for victims who have the courage not only to survive the ordeal of sexual abuse, but to come forward to see that justice is served," stated United States Attorney Jim McDevitt. "We are grateful to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Hong Kong authorities (the Hong Kong Immigration Department, Police Force and Department of Justice) for their commitment and unwavering efforts in the investigation and prosecution of this case, and to the United States Marshals Service for its assistance during the fugitive apprehension of Defendant Freeman."
Karin J. Immergut, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, said, "As a result of the collaborative efforts of local, federal, and international law enforcement officers, a child sexual predator has been held accountable for the unspeakable crimes he committed. Although it is tragic that the victim will forever live with the memories of the sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of her father, we are pleased that this chapter of her life is now behind her."
Andy Miller, Benton County Prosecuting Attorney, added, "We are very pleased that the close cooperation between federal and state authorities helped obtain the convictions and lengthy sentences. However, none of this would have been possible without the extraordinary courage and strength of the victim during this long ordeal."
"Today's sentencing is the result of investigative tenacity and tireless dedication on behalf of every law enforcement agency involved in bringing Kenneth Freeman to justice," said Leigh Winchell, Special Agent in Charge of ICE's Office of Investigations in the Pacific Northwest. "This case further strengthens ICE's resolve to investigate pedophiles who seek to destroy the innocence of children through sexual exploitation."
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This case was investigated by the Richland Police Department, the Benton County Sheriff's Office, the Kennewick Police Department, the U.S. Marshals, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children assisted in the investigation. This case was prosecuted by Stephanie Lister, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington; Gary Sussman, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon; and Adrienne Farabee, Benton County Deputy Prosecutor.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice
