DUNDONALD MAN OWEN FREEL JAILED FOR ONLINE GROOMING AND SEXUAL ABUSE

A man named Owen Freel, aged 26, from Beechwood Manor in Dundonald, has been sentenced for a planned and prolonged campaign of sexual offending against a young girl. Freel pleaded guilty to seven charges committed between December 1, 2017, and July 1, 2019. The charges included sexual communication with a child, possessing an indecent image of a child, and engaging in sexual activity with a child. The victim was only 13 years old when she first contacted Freel, who was between 19 and 21 at the time of the offences. The court heard that the girl was 'fooled and cheated' to establish a sexual relationship. Freel was arrested in December 2021 after police received information in November 2019 about a girl who believed she was 17 but was actually 22. The victim started chatting online with a male called Jack, who claimed he was 15, but was later revealed to be Freel, a 21-year-old man. The relationship involved exchanging sexual images and meetings for sexual activity starting when she was 14, continuing for about a year. The girl told police she did this ‘to keep him happy,’ but later discovered Facebook that Freel was an adult. The relationships ended in July 2019, and she was left very upset. Freel was sentenced to 38 months in custody, with an additional 19 months on license, and was placed on the sex offenders register for life. He will also be subject to a seven-year sexual offences prevention order. The court emphasized the seriousness of the offending and the impact on the victim, describing his actions as a violation that warranted immediate custody.