A 33-year-old El Granada man has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole after being convicted of rape and kidnapping of five young victims.
According to the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office, Kaylan Freeman was sentenced last Friday after being convicted in August of sexually assaulting victims ages 13 and 18.
Prosecutors said that Freeman knew all of his victims and assaulted them by forcing and threatening them while on outings, including one who was taken to San Franciso under the excuse of dinner but was taken to a secluded area and raped.
In January 2021, Freeman was arrested at his home after an investigation launched in 2012.
At Friday’s sentencing hearing, two victim’s statements were read and the judge told Freeman that he appeared to have no remorse for his wrongdoings and was smirking in court.
Freeman received the life sentence under California’s “One Strike” law that mandates such sentences in sexual assault cases that have certain special circumstances, including there being more than one victim in the case.
Freeman’s defense attorney Charles Smith III criticized the law, saying the circumstances of the case didn’t warrant a life sentence.
“It’s unfortunate that the Legislature has decided to take the sentencing decisions away from judges and is mandating these draconian sentences,” Smith said.
