Jury Finds Claremore Man Guilty Of Raping Several Women

Tulsa County prosecutors said victims of a serial rapist finally have justice after a jury found Shawn Freeman guilty on 14 counts, including rape and kidnapping.

Prosecutors said it’s one of the more heinous cases they've ever had, and that they’re proud of the jury.

"It's every woman's worst nightmare. It's a bit terrifying to know that there's someone out there picking up people and then committing these heinous crimes," Assistant District Attorney Kenneth Elmore said.

Tulsa Police called him the Admiral Rapist. Prosecutors said Freeman would pick up women needing a ride along Admiral Place in East Tulsa, then he'd rape them in his car.

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Sometimes, he even told the women he was a police officer.

Two of the victims worked as prostitutes; prosecutors said at first they were hesitant to come forward, thinking no one would believe them.

"This is proof that not only were they believed, but they got justice," Elmore said.

The prosecutors also applauded the jury for only considering the women's testimonies, not their lifestyles.

"They looked at them for what they are, which is a woman, a person," Assistant District Attorney Heather Anderson said.

The jury found Freeman guilty on all 14 counts, recommending life in prison and more than $130,000 in fines.

Prosecutors said they worked on the case with the Tulsa Police Department's Sex Crimes Division for more than a year and a half, and these verdicts reaffirm that work.

"They were chosen for a reason, and they were victimized for a reason. And then to give them a sense of justice, it reinforces what we do for a living and it makes us proud to be a part of it," Anderson said.

Elmore said, "Hopefully this will let people know that regardless of your background, your lifestyle, the police are there to help you, and they're there to protect you and investigate a crime."

Freeman's lawyer did not want to give a statement.