May 2, 2007

ICE and U.S. Marshals 'Most Wanted' fugitive arrested in Hong Kong
Accused child molester and child pornographer is a former law enforcement officer

One of Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) "Most Wanted" fugitives was arrested last night in Hong Kong by local law enforcement authorities based on a formal request from the U.S. Department of State. Kenneth John Freeman, 44, was also one of the U.S. Marshals Service's (USMS) most wanted fugitives. The Washington State resident was wanted by ICE, USMS and the Benton County (Wash.) Sheriff's Office on charges stemming from the repeated molestation of his minor daughter and the posting of videos of the abuse online. Freeman was charged with child rape in Washington State and released on bond in December 2005. He fled the country after federal charges were filed in early 2006. He has been the subject of a worldwide manhunt since then.

The ICE attaché in Beijing was able to confirm through Chinese authorities that Freeman was in the People's Republic of China. Although no extradition treaty exists between the People's Republic of China and the United States, Chinese authorities agreed to assist in the investigation. A provisional arrest warrant was obtained in Hong Kong, where an extradition treaty still exists with the United States. Last month, ICE officials at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing learned of Freeman's intent to travel to Hong Kong in early May. Upon entry into Hong Kong, Freeman was arrested by Hong Kong law enforcement officers and is now facing extradition proceedings for removal to the United States.

"The arrest of this accused child molester, who has been on ICE's most wanted list for many months, proves the global reach of our law enforcement partnerships," said Julie L. Myers, Assistant Secretary for Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement. "He will be returned for trial to the United States, where penalties for child exploitation are among the toughest in the world."

"This complex, international case was a challenge for the Marshals, ICE, and our law enforcement partners," said U.S. Marshals Service Director John F. Clark. "But fugitives charged with crimes against children are our top priority. Freeman now will be returned to the United States to face the justice he deserves."

Law enforcement went public with their search as early as last December, when Freeman was featured on television's "America's Most Wanted." His daughter, now a teenager and an advocate against child sexual abuse, went on TV to tell her story. Clues began to fall into place. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) had long known of a series of child pornography videos showing the abuse of an unidentified girl. They were convinced the child and her abuser were from the Pacific Northwest, and when the Freeman case received national publicity, calls to NCMEC linked the girl on "America's Most Wanted" to the unidentified child in the video series.

Freeman, who is a former reserve Benton County sheriff's deputy, had also been a Department of Energy security guard at the Hanford Nuclear reservation in Eastern Washington, where he had received extensive firearms and other weapons training.

After information was developed that Freeman had flown from Vancouver, British Columbia, to Hong Kong on March 24, 2006, and subsequently entered mainland China, ICE's attaché in Beijing made contact with Chinese authorities through official U.S. State Department and U.S. Department of Justice channels.

This case is part of Operation Predator, ICE's comprehensive initiative to safeguard children from pedophiles, international sex tourists, Internet child pornographers and human traffickers. Since Operation Predator was launched in July 2003, ICE agents have arrested more than 9,800 individuals.

Additional information about Operation Predator is available on the Web at www.ice.gov. ICE encourages the reporting of suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at 1-866-DHS-2ICE. Investigators staff this hotline around the clock. Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, at 1-800-843-5678 or http://www.cypertipline

-- ICE --

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was established in March 2003 as the largest investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security. ICE is comprised of five integrated divisions that form a 21st century law enforcement agency with broad responsibilities for a number of key homeland security priorities.

  Last Modified: