Adam Freeman, 47, jailed after weekend of sexually assaulting homeless teenage girl

A northern suburbs man has been handed a sentence after he took a “vulnerable” homeless teen into his care and sexually abused her.

An Elizabeth East man will spend up to the next decade in prison after he sexually abused a 13-year-old homeless girl over a whole weekend and “threatened to get bikies after her” if she told anyone, a court has heard.

Adam Freeman, 47, appeared in the District Court last Wednesday for sentencing after pleading guilty to the “degrading” acts against his teen victim – which only came to an end when police caught him engaging in sexual intercourse with her on the side of a northern suburbs house.

Adam Freeman, 47, was sentenced in the District Court last Wednesday. Picture: Facebook

Judge Ian Press told the court that as police approached Freeman, his “vulnerable” victim could be seen mouthing the words ‘help me’.

“It is not surprising that when police attended she only mouthed the words,” Judge Press said.

“I infer that she was not willing to say the words out loud in front of you, such was her fear of you at that time.

“You said: ‘because you were an adult you could do whatever you liked’.

“You were both physically and verbally violent towards (her) during the course of the weekend.

“Your violence included threatening her with a knife, threatening to get bikies after her if she ran away or told anyone, twisting her arms and hands, and threatening to kill her and put her body in the river if she called the police or told anyone about you.”

Freeman, a convicted rapist, met the girl on January 12, 2023 at a train station and offered to let her stay with him and an older woman who was voluntarily housing him – for free – after his release from prison.

Prosecutors told the court Freeman supplied alcohol, cigarettes and drugs to the child during her time in his company, while he used meth, heroin, “various” pills and alcohol.

He was charged – and pleaded guilty to – one count of sexually abusing a child, one count of aggravated assault causing harm, and one count of dishonestly taking property without consent.

Last Wednesday, Judge Press noted “each offending was degrading”, and sentenced Freeman to ten years and four months imprisonment with a non-parole period of eight years, three months and seven days.

“You would have known of her fear and the extent to which you were prepared to instil fear into her to ensure that she remained with you, so that you were able to commit the offences,” he said.

Freeman’s sentence was backdated to January 16, 2023 and he will be eligible for parole in 2031.

Originally published as Adam Freeman, 47, jailed after weekend of sexually assaulting homeless teenage girl