Police killer linked to child sex offenses before fatal shootout

Freeman fatally shot Constables Neal Thompson and Vadim de Waart-Hottart in August of last year near Porepunkah. He subsequently evaded capture for 216 days, becoming the subject of Australia’s largest-ever police operation.

Prior to his death, Freeman, who identified as a sovereign citizen, also shot and wounded another officer and attempted to fire on a fourth. Police had a warrant to seize his electronic devices as part of an investigation into historical child sex offenses, including allegations of sexual exposure.

Hundreds of files containing child abuse material were discovered on Freeman’s devices following the raids. While one alleged victim was previously known, law enforcement sources now indicate there are two.

Details of the alleged offenses were presented earlier this year in the Victorian coroners court, ahead of inquests into the officers’ deaths and Freeman’s death in March. Counsel assisting the coroner, Lindsay Spence, stated that Freeman was under investigation for an alleged sexual assault of a child under 16 and an alleged attempt to involve a child in the production of abuse material.

Freeman was eventually tracked to a rural property at Thologolong, over 150 kilometers from Porepunkah. On March 30, after a three-hour negotiation with Victoria Police’s Special Operations Group, he emerged from a converted shipping container armed with a stolen service pistol. He was shot and killed after pointing the weapon at officers.

More than 500 police personnel from Victoria, interstate, federal agencies, and New Zealand participated in the search. A $1 million reward for information related to Freeman’s capture generated over 2,000 tips.

Taskforce Summit, the Victoria Police unit established to find Freeman, has conducted raids and interviews in Victoria’s High Country and regional New South Wales, targeting individuals believed to have aided his escape. This included raids on the home of Kay and Bruce Reid, parents of AFL players Ben and Sam Reid, who described their friendship with Freeman. Kay Reid has denied any involvement in assisting Freeman.

Investigators believe Freeman crossed the border into New South Wales during his time on the run and received assistance from multiple individuals. Those arrested and released since Freeman’s death are reportedly linked through shared sovereign citizen beliefs. Police are using arrest powers to seize electronic devices to identify a potential support network. No charges have been filed. Inquests into the deaths of Freeman, Thompson, and de Waart-Hottart are scheduled to begin in March of next year.