Video of predator luring child away from Australian Kmart is released

It took just two words for predator Sterling Mervyn Free to lure a 7-year-old girl away from a Kmart north of Brisbane, before molesting her in bushland.

Free stalked the girl in the toy aisle at a Kmart in Westfield North Lakes, north of Brisbane in December last year.

The girl was Christmas shopping, one aisle over from her mother when he approached her and said "follow me". She was gone in moments.

CCTV then shows the victim following Free through the shopping centre.

He then drove her to secluded bushland, sexually assaulting her before dropping her back at the mall to be reunited with her terrified mother.

Free, a father of twins, was arrested two days later and charged with deprivation of liberty, taking a child for immoral purposes and indecent treatment of a child under 12.

He pleaded guilty in an Australian court this week and has been remanded for sentencing.

During the ordeal, her distraught mother scoured the shopping centre, although it took Westfield staff 30 mins to call police.

By this time her daughter was 30km away, in the clutches of a predator.

Free has been kept in seclusion in jail after threats from other inmates.

One online threat 'Word is out in jails… the boys have spread the word... your name's now starting to be the talk of the jails".