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Man admits to molesting girl, 7, in Kmart kidnapping

A Queensland man has pleaded guilty to kidnapping a seven-year-old girl from a shopping centre and molesting her in bushland.

Sterling Mervyn Free, 27, lured the girl from Kmart at Westfield North Lakes, north of Brisbane, in December last year.

He then took her to nearby bushland where she was sexually assaulted before returning her to the shopping centre more than hour later.

Sterling Mervyn Free has pleaded guilty to kidnapping a girl from Kmart store in Brisbane and molesting her.
Sterling Mervyn Free pleaded guilty to kidnapping a seven-year-old girl from a Kmart store and molesting her. Source: Channel 7

He was arrested two days later and charged with deprivation of liberty, taking a child for immoral purposes and indecent treatment of a child under 12.

He pleaded guilty in the Brisbane District Court on Wednesday to these charges.

Free was remanded in custody until his sentence hearing in October.

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