A man was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for grooming a 14-year-old girl online, removing her from her home in Mount Vernon, and transporting her back to his house in Michigan.
On Wednesday, Keith Freerksen, 31, received his sentence at the U.S. District Court in Seattle.
In January 2024, police enforcement found out that a 14-year-old girl was being taken from place to place in several Uber rides that were paid for by someone who was not known.
Freerksen, who is a registered sex offender in Michigan, was eventually recognized by investigators as a possible suspect.
Law police tracked Freerksen’s activities across the northern tier of the United States with the use of license plate readers.
They were able to capture his return trip through Idaho and Illinois in the days following the disappearance of the teenager.
The FBI obtained a search warrant, which led to the recovery of the teenager and the arrest of Freerksen.
He was accused of trying to persuade a minor to engage in sexual activity and of attempting to engage in sexual activity with a minor.
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“What happened in this case is every parent’s nightmare – a predator comes into the home via social media and computer screens and manipulates your child to run away,” said U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. “This defendant secreted a child away, leaving a distraught family searching desperately for their loved one. When the victim should have been involved in normal teenage activities, the teen was instead manipulated and ensnared by the defendant.”
The parents of the victim expressed their gratitude to law police for locating and saving their child. They stated, “I never imagined a predator would travel across the country to steal (my child).”
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The 20-year sentence will be served at the same time as the 15-to-70 year state sentence in Michigan. Freerksen will also have to register as a sex offender once more.
