A Michigan man faces serious charges for allegedly crossing the nation with dark intentions, as a grand jury in Seattle pegs him for attempting to exploit a minor sexually. Keith Daniel Freerksen, 30, of South Haven, was indicted on traveling with the aim of committing a sexual act with a minor, as per an announcement by U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman.
Freerksen was nabbed back in his Michigan hometown on January 31, after a teenager went AWOL in early January, prompting a wide-reaching investigation that roped in law enforcement from Washington to Michigan. A detective from the local police brought in the FBI, whose skills in tackling violent crimes against children helped snare the sex offender, according to The Department of Justice. Riding on data from Uber rides booked for the 14-year-old by some anonymous benefactor, the FBI zeroed in on Freerksen, identified via his registered set of wheels, and his passage was tracked through various states using license plate readers.
The arrest led to the teen's rescue when police carried out a search warrant, with the FBI’s involvement, flushing out Freerksen and the victim at his residence. Dragged over to Western Washington, the accused now cools his heels in a SeaTac federal detention center awaiting trial. The man could be staring at 30 years in the slammer coupled with a wallet-crunching fine of $250,000, should the courts find him culpable of the allegations.
