Freeman faces six felony indictments

Published 8:52 pm Monday, November 8, 2010

A Troy man faces six felony indictments involving inappropriate acts with minors.

Tripp Dennis Freeman, 20, was indicted on three counts of sodomy first degree; two counts of enticing a child; and one count of attempted sodomy first degree by the most recent Pike County Grand Jury. All involve cases against juveniles.

Freeman was being held in the Pike County jail on $240,000 bond on the felony charges. Prior to the grand jury, Freeman had been facing five felony charges, including three sodomy first degree charges and two enticing a child charges. During the grand jury process, an additional case was presented and an indictment of enticing a child returned and one of the enticing a child charges was changed to attempted sodomy, according to court records.

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Freeman, a former employee of the Troy Recreation Department, was first arrested on May 11 for a harassment charge stemming from an incident involving a 13-year-old boy at the Pike County Relay for Life.

The first sodomy incident is said to have taken place in February 2007 at Bush Memorial Baptist Church. Freeman would have been 17 at the time. The next sodomy incident is said to have taken place in March 2005. Other incidents were reported to have occurred in 2009 and April 29 of this year, according to court records.

Freeman’s attorney, J. Carlton Taylor, said “we will continue to vigorously fight this case.” He would not comment further.

The sodomy first-degree charges are Class A felonies and according to the Alabama Criminal Code carry sentences of 10 years to life. Enticement, which is described as someone with “lascivious” intent attempting to invite a child under the age of 16 into a vehicle, home or other private place for the purpose of sodomy or sexual intercourse, is a class C felony that carries a penalty of one to 10 years, if convicted.

Freeman will go before Judge Robert W. Barr at 1:30 p.m. on Nov. 22 for arraignment.

Prior to the indictments, Freeman also faced four misdemeanor harassment charges and two misdemeanor indecent exposure charges, which carried a total bond of $3,000.