A father-of-two has been sentenced to eight years in jail for kidnapping a seven-year-old girl from a shopping centre north of Brisbane, and molesting her in bushland.
Sterling Mervyn Free lured the girl from her mother in the toy aisle of Kmart in Westfield North Lakes in December, before driving her to an isolated spot about 30 minutes away, and indecently assaulting her.
He dropped the girl back to the centre more than an hour later.
The 27-year-old pleaded guilty in the District Court in July to taking a child for immoral purposes, deprivation of liberty, and indecent treatment of a child under 12.
In sentencing today, Judge Julie Dick said Free’s offending was “every parent’s nightmare” and “involved some pre-meditation”.
He will be eligible for parole in June 2021.
Child safety advocate Denise Morcombe was at court for the sentencing, earlier tweeting that her and her husband Bruce were “shocked” at the “brazen nature” of the “frightening” abduction, releasing a statement on behalf of the girl’s mother.
1. “My tiny innocent girl was well aware of stranger danger, however this person was friendly to her and tricked her into following him”
— Denise Morcombe (@DeniseMorcombe) October 10, 2019
2. “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”
— Denise Morcombe (@DeniseMorcombe) October 10, 2019
“My tiny, innocent girl was well aware of stranger danger, however this was friendly to her and tricked her into following him,” the statement read.
“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.
“We, as a family, remain positive and are trying to move forward.”
More to come.
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