Pedo Sterling Free sentence: Only two years’ jail for man who molested girl

Mass outrage has erupted after a sick pervert who kidnapped a little girl from a Kmart and molested her in bushland was given a sentence that could see him walk from jail in less than two years.

MASS outrage has erupted after a sick pervert who kidnapped a seven-year-old girl from a suburban shopping centre and molested her in bushland was handed a sentence that could see him walk from jail in less than two years.

Bruce and Denise Morcombe, parents of murdered schoolboy Daniel Morcombe, are among those who have slammed the punishment imposed on Sterling Free, saying they “fear for the children of Queensland” as the sentence won’t deter other paedophiles.

Queensland’s attorney-general is being called on to urgently appeal the eight-year sentence after the 27-year-old pleaded guilty to taking the child for an immoral purpose, claiming he did it because a “dark urge” took over.

After serving 306 days on remand, Brisbane District Court Judge Julie Dick set Free’s parole eligibility date as August, 2021. She did not to declare him a serious violent offender, which would have seen him spend at least 80 per cent of the sentence behind bars.

Sterling Free lured a seven-year-old girl out of a Brisbane shopping centre and molested her last December (2018).

In a sickening crime that is every parent’s worst nightmare, Free lured the girl away from her mother during the Christmas rush at Kmart North Lakes last December by gaining her trust, before sexually assaulting her in bushland.

The Morcombes, who yesterday travelled to Brisbane to support the girl’s family, said the sentence would “be a shock to every Queenslander and indeed every Australian”.

“The bar needs to be high to say to these other people, these other creeps who have a fascination with our kids, ‘don’t go there or you’ll be locked up for decades’,” Mr Morcombe said.

He said it would be “devastating” to see Free’s offending escalate, as Daniel’s killer Brett Peter Cowan’s did, because he was not adequately punished for previous crimes.

“If we can learn anything from Cowan’s previous convictions, it is he didn’t learn his lesson, he wasn’t punished strongly enough and he got the urges and did it again and did it again,” he said.

Parole Board Queensland will be tasked with deciding if Free should be released if he makes an application for parole when he becomes eligible.

Sterling Free the man convicted of taking a child for an immoral purpose from a North Lakes shopping centre.

Judge Dick decided against making a serious violent offender declaration, despite a recommendation to do so by the prosecution.

“As appalling as the offence is I, cannot be satisfied it’s so outside of the norm of that offence that I should make the declaration,” Judge Dick said.

But the child’s mother was bitterly disappointed.

“My tiny innocent girl was well aware of stranger danger, however this person was friendly to her and tricked her into following him,” she said in a statement. “No child should ever have to go through this type of trauma, and no sentence will ever be long enough to make up for the ongoing effects this will have on her.”

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton slammed the sentence as an “outrage” and called for the Queensland Government to immediately appeal and follow the Morrison Government’s lead and introduce legislation to create minimum mandatory sentences for child sex offenders.

“For a child that’s sexually abused or abducted, for somebody to get essentially a penalty of about 2½ years is unacceptable,” he said.

District Court Judge Julie Dick did not declare Sterling Free a serious violent offender, meaning he will be eligible for parole in August 2021.

State Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington said Free should not be eligible for ­parole at all.

“This horrible human being needs to be locked up for his entire sentence,” she said. “To think this vile grub will be back on the streets in less than two years is totally unacceptable. Eight years’ jail should mean eight years’ jail and not a minute less.”

Bravehearts founder Hetty Johnston said the sentence was “pathetic”, questioning if it was long enough for Free to complete sex offender courses.

“He’s a danger to children because he can’t help himself and we can’t say: ‘That’s OK, he can get out’,” she said.

On his own admissions to police, Free was shopping for presents for his own girls when he saw the seven-year-old innocently looking at toys and “the urges just kicked in”.

Free drove her to bushland 30 minutes away before taking her hand and leading her into the scrub, convincing her they were “looking for something”.

Bravehearts founder Hetty Johnston said the sentence was “pathetic”, questioning if it was long enough for Free to complete sex offender courses. Picture: Jono Searle

When they reached a secluded spot, he removed the child’s clothing and shoes and touched her vagina before ejaculating in his pants.

Then, he told the girl to get dressed, carried her out of the scrub and returned her to the shopping centre. Free told police his actions made him feel “sick and disgusting”.

Free was also sentenced to two years’ jail for deprivation of liberty and two years’ jail for indecent treatment of the girl, to be served concurrently.

Outside court, Free’s lawyer Shaune Irving read an apology letter form his client.

“I cannot comprehend the pain that I have cause her. I took away her innocence and scared her family,” Free said. “I can’t even imagine the pain and fear that I caused. I can’t take that back and I’m so sorry that she ever had to go through this”.

A spokesman for the Attorney-General said prosecutors had up to a month to decide if an appeal had a reasonable chance of success.