World · East Asia & Pacific · 1 hr ago
Dezi Freeman suspected of sexually exploiting two children
Police suspect Dezi Freeman sexually exploited two children before he killed two officers in Victoria.
Freeman was being investigated over alleged child sex offences when police went to his home at Porepunkah in August last year.
Police had a warrant to seize his devices, and hundreds of files of child abuse material were later found on them.
It had previously been understood that there was one alleged victim, but the exact circumstances of the suspected offences remain unknown.
Freeman killed two officers and wounded another before disappearing into the bush; police shot him dead after a stand-off in March, ending a 216-day search.
Investigators are still probing whether people helped him hide, including in Victoria and New South Wales.
Police suspect Dezi Freeman sexually exploited two children before he shot two officers and went on the run, the ABC reported.
The allegations include sexual exposure, an alleged sexual assault of a child under 16 and an alleged attempt to involve a child in producing abuse material.
Police had a warrant to seize Freeman’s devices as they investigated historical child sex offence allegations.
Freeman was shot dead by police on March 30 after 216 days on the run.
Hundreds of files of child abuse material were found on his devices, the ABC reported.
- Who
- Dezi Freeman is suspected of sexually exploiting two children.
- What
- Police suspect him of child sexual abuse offences, including an alleged sexual assault of a child under 16 and an alleged attempt to involve a child in producing abuse material.
- When
- The alleged offences are described as historical. Freeman was shot dead on March 30, after spending 216 days on the run.
- Where
- The allegations were investigated in Victoria. Freeman was later tracked to a rural property at Thologolong.
- Why
- Police were investigating allegations of historical child sex offences and had a warrant to seize Freeman’s devices.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Freeman shot and killed two officers, wounded a third and fled into the bush at Porepunkah.
Allegations concerning Freeman were aired in the Victorian coroner’s court ahead of inquests into the officers’ murders and Freeman’s death.
Police shot Freeman dead after a three-hour negotiation at a rural property at Thologolong.
Kay Reid said police had searched her home and seized her phones.
The ABC reported that Freeman was suspected of sexually exploiting two children.
- Suspected victims
- Two children
- Time on the run
- 216 days
- Devices
- Hundreds of files of child abuse material found
- Officers killed
- Constables Neal Thompson and Vadim de Waart-Hottart
- Final location
- A rural property at Thologolong, more than 150 kilometres north-east of Porepunkah
- Police operation
- More than 500 personnel were involved in the operation that ended with Freeman’s death
What people are saying
We had nothing to do with it… as if we're going to do that, as if we would've assisted, spare me