A Snellville man was sentenced to life in prison for an April 2018 home invasion and sexual assault of a woman who lived in his mother’s neighborhood.
Christopher Freeman, 34, was convicted Wednesday of rape, first-degree burglary, aggravated assault and robbery by force, the Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office said.
The victim, a single mother of a 7-year-old son, told police she was awakened about 4 a.m. by her barking dog. When she opened her bedroom door, she saw a man dressed in an iron worker jacket, thick gloves and a mask, prosecutors said.
When the man saw her, he lunged at her and dragged her into her bedroom, where he raped her.
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The woman told police she was pinned to the ground and choked during the attack, and that she lost consciousness several times.
Her son was sleeping at a friend’s house that night, prosecutors said, and Freeman asked where the boy was.
“I’ve been watching you,” he reportedly told her while instructing her to keep quiet if she ever wanted to see her son again. “You know you want it. I gave you my number and you never called me.”
After the assault, Freeman dragged the woman downstairs and disconnected her surveillance equipment. He then dragged her back to her room, filled a tub with water and threw the electronics in to destroy evidence.
After stealing cash from the woman’s drawers, Freeman made her get into the tub to wash off any physical evidence that would link him to the rape, prosecutors said.
He then tried to rape her again, but was scared off when a banister fell off the wall and down the stairs, the DA’s office said.
Though the woman never got a look at Freeman’s face, police were able to link him to the sexual assault through DNA evidence. Authorities said his DNA was on file from a prior case in Broward County, Fla., where he was convicted of felony domestic battery.
Freeman testified at his trial that he had consensual sex with the victim that night, but prosecutors presented calls he made from behind bars where he denied having sex with her.
He was sentenced to life in prison, plus another 20 years, with the possibility of parole after three decades. If he is released, Freeman must register as a sex offender.
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