Wife of sex offender says charges are fabricated

RALEIGH

On Wednesday, deputies said registered sex offender James Freeman, 50, was charged with indecent liberties with a child, entering a place primarily for the care of minors, and failure to report a change of address.

The arrest came after the I-Team reported Tuesday that Freeman worked around children at the Quality Education Institute daycare in Raleigh as a maintenance contractor.

Thursday, Freeman's wife who also worked at QEI - Sherri Williams, 39 - was charged with three counts of misdemeanor child abuse for knowingly bringing children into a residence where a sex offender lived.

Former employees - who asked not to be identified - have told ABC11 that Williams brought children home from QEI to babysit them.

Raleigh police did not confirm that, but said there were three children in the home on July 25 when Freeman allegedly inappropriately touched a 10-year-old girl.

Williams spoke with ABC11 on Friday and said the charges are not true and the accusations came from her adult daughter.

"She knew that she couldn't get to me any other kind of way, but she had to do what it took to hurt me. And she promised. She said, 'Mom, I will get you. I promise you I will get you.'"

Williams claims the motivation was jealousy.

"She wanted my husband. She wanted my husband," she said.

But Williams says her husband, James Freeman, rejected her daughter's alleged advances.

"All my husband did was pick my grandson off the floor where he was at. His leg hit the girl," said Williams.

Williams says that her daughter saw that and then encouraged the parent of the child to file charges.

But Raleigh police - who filed molestation charges - and Wake County Sheriff Donnie Harrison - who is also investigating - say they have a case.

"I can't get into the investigation as you know, said Harrison. "But we're confident in our charges."

Harrison has charged Freeman with not registering his address at Williams' home and with working at the daycare.

Williams says her husband lived in a shelter and only worked at night and weekends at the daycare center.

The sheriff indicated if that were the case - as it sometimes is with other contracted maintenance crews - the charges would not have been filed.

"If we have proof that they're working when there's nobody there, we normally don't bother them," said Harrison.

Williams is most upset because she has now lost custody of her granddaughter - the child of the daughter she's accusing of setting her up.

"I'm gonna get her back. I'm gonna get her back. I gotta get her back," she said.

After speaking with Williams, ABC11 tried to contact her daughter to get the daughter's side of the story. We've left a message but have not yet heard back from her.

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