The two words accused Kmart predator said to young girl he ‘kidnapped and sexually assaulted her’

A father-of-two whispered two disturbing words to a young girl inside a Kmart toy aisle before allegedly kidnapping her and sexually assaulting her in bushland. 

Sterling Mervyn Free, 26, appeared in the Pine Rivers Magistrates Court on Thursday via video link and was remanded in custody.

Free is accused of luring a child from Kmart at Westfield North Lakes in Queensland and has been charged with kidnapping and indecent treatment of a child under 12. 

Before he allegedly made off with the seven-year-old, he uttered two terrifying words to her, The Courier Mail reported.

‘Follow me.’

The seven-year-old girl was allegedly snatched from the toy aisle of a Kmart store at Westfield North Lakes, north of Brisbane. Daily Mail Australia visited the store last week (pictured)

Free is alleged to have placed the girl in the passenger seat of his car before driving her to bushland in Pumicestone Passage.

Once there he allegedly sexually assaulted her.

The girl was then dumped at a North Lakes carwash near the shopping centre.  

The mother of the child allegedly noticed a scratch on her daughter’s back when they came home. 

Police prosecutors applied for the court to be closed last week for Free’s first appearance.

Magistrate Trevor Morgan conceded on the grounds of ‘public morality’.

Media left the courtroom and were also barred from reporting on some parts of the proceeding.

An attempt was made to lift the non-publication order on Thursday, though was shut down.

Magistrate Wendy Cull said the court was too busy to consider the application in the lead-up to Christmas. 

Free’s lawyer Shaune Irving told media outside court sensitivity had to be considered with the privacy of the young child in mind.

Free hopes to spend Christmas with his family and made known he will apply for bail. 

Mr Irving confirmed to The Courier Mail earlier this week he had been instructed to ‘make an immediate application’. 

Free’s family is said to be standing by the father amid the allegations.

‘He does have a deep concern for the impact this is having on his family. He’s a father. He’s got two little girls. He obviously loves his children,’ Mr Irving said. 

The solicitor said Free is holding up okay in prison and that his thoughts remain with his family.

Sterling Free (pictured) is alleged to have placed the girl in the passenger seat of his car before he drove her to bushland in Pumicestone Passage. Once there he allegedly sexually assaulted her. 

Free is being kept in isolation inside ‘Australia’s nastiest prison’ (pictured) after he received a barrage of threats 

Free is being kept in isolation inside ‘Australia’s nastiest prison’ after he received a barrage of threats. 

‘It’s very important that people understand that whilst he is charged with a serious offence, he still has the right to a fair trial,’ Mr Irving said.

‘He also has the right to feel safe and not fear any sort of retribution or retaliatory behaviour from the public.’

‘It’s a very unique matter — the brief of evidence still needs to be disclosed… it’s very early in the proceedings for people to be making judgment calls.’   

Free is locked up at the Arthur Gorrie Correctional Centre in Brisbane’s west.   

Police allege Free took the girl to nearby bushland where he is accused of sexually assaulting her. Pictured is a stretch of land near where the alleged assault is believed to have occurred

Free (pictured) hopes to spend Christmas with his family and made known he will apply for bail