Timothy Freeman will be nearly 86 years old before he's eligible for parole because of the lengthy prison sentence he received Monday. Lake County Jail photo.

LAKEPORT – A Contra Costa County man received a life sentence on Monday for a June 2008 sexual assault.

Judge Arthur H. Mann sentenced Timothy Hanse Freeman, 43, a mechanic from San Pablo, to an indeterminate term of 50 years to life in state prison for a sexual assault which took place on June 13, 2008, according to a report from the Lake County District Attorney's Office.

Attorney Ken Roush, who defended Freeman, did not receive a call seeking comment.

Deputy District Attorney Ed Borg prosecuted the case. Det. Martin Snyder of the Clearlake Police Department acted as lead investigator.

On Nov. 3, 2008, Freeman pleaded guilty to one count of sexual intercourse with a child 10 years of age or younger and one count of aggravated sexual assault of a child, the District Attorney's Office report.

In addition, officials said Freeman admitted to a special allegation that he had previously been convicted of a violation of rape by force, as well as admitting that he had suffered a prior strike for rape.

In exchange for Freeman's plea, the District Attorney's Office dismissed several additional counts and special allegations.

According to police reports, Freeman – who was on parole for a weapons charge – absconded from parole in Contra Costa County in May of 2008.

Investigators discovered that Freeman and the victim’s mother had a mutual acquaintance, and he made his way to the city of Clearlake, where he stayed with the victim’s family for several weeks. The victim’s mother was aware that Freeman was a parolee but unaware that he had absconded from parole.

On June 12, 2008, the victim’s mother asked Freeman to watch her two children – the victim, a 9-year-old girl, and her 7-year-old brother, while she worked a graveyard shift because her regular babysitter was unavailable, according to the investigation.

The prosecution alleged that later that evening Freeman assaulted the victim.

The young victim told her mother about the assault early the next morning, according to investigators. The girl's mother then told Freeman to leave and notified the Clearlake Police Department, which arrested him later that day.

Because the charges he pleaded to are violent felonies, Freeman must serve 85 percent of 50 years, or 42.5 years, before he is eligible for parole. That would make him nearly 86 years old before he could have the opportunity to be released.

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