Cherokee County couple arrested on felony child abuse charges

The following press release has been issued by Cherokee County Sheriff's Office.  All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
    
Murphy, NC— Cherokee County Sheriff Derrick Palmer announced the October 14th, 2015 arrest of 28-year-old Sarah Ann Freeman and 29-year-old Jonathan Robert Freeman, both of Murphy, North Carolina on true bills of indictment handed down from the October 12th setting of the Cherokee County Grand Jury. 

On or about September 2, 2015 the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office received a report from the Cherokee County Department of Social Services that a 10-week-old infant was in the hospital with broken bones and other serious life threatening injuries.  During the course of the investigation, information became known that the parents of the child were Sarah and Jonathan Freeman. Additionally, information became known that the injuries, which included broken bones and other life threatening injuries, had been inflicted during the time that the child was in the care and custody of the Freeman couple. 

Both Sarah Ann Freeman and Jonathan Robert Freeman were arrested on October 14th, and brought to the Cherokee County Detention Center where the magistrate set both a $5,000.00 secure bond and a November 12th, 2015 Superior Court date. The Freeman couple are free on bond at the time of this release.

Sheriff Palmer stated, “These cases are very difficult, but the team effort that my office and the Cherokee County Department of Social Services took helped bring these parents to justice. My Office will aggressively pursue anyone who exploits and harms our children.”

To report crime in Cherokee County, call the anonymous tip line at 828-837-1344 or email a tip at crime.tips@cherokeecounty-nc.gov or call 911 if you observe a crime in progress.