Missouri judge sends teenage girl to live with allegedly sexually abusive father after jailing her mother

Family court judge, Nicole Zellweger, reportedly ordered the minor daughter of Angela Freiner back into the custody of her father, who allegedly sexually abused her, PJ Media reports.

The teenage daughter recorded a video of a hearing Friday with Judge Zellweger, which was obtained by investigative journalist Michael Volpe who then proceeded to post the video on YouTube. In the video, the teenaged girl is heard begging the judge not to send her back to live with her father, who she says abused her.

In the recording, the minor can be heard pleading with the judge, who then threatens that her mother could end up in jail if she does not comply wit her order.

“She has free will but her free will can end up putting her in jail,” Zellweger says.

"I don’t want to live with him," the young girl is heard saying.

The judge replies, "When your mom is taken to jail you will have no other parent to live with but dad…I understand you’re not happy with the court’s judgment."

"We can do it the easy way or we can do it the hard way," she continued.

The minor further pleas with the judge, asking how she could be sent to live with an abuser.

"I still don’t understand, I told you that he was touching me [unintelligible] and you’re still going to make me go with him?" she asked.

The judge responded saying there was "no evidence," of the molestation, shutting down the young girl's request.

Sources told PJ Media that Freiner was arrested and was held in criminal contempt and jailed for two days following the hearing. The mother reportedly had no prior criminal record.

The judge also reportedly had the child committed to the behavioral center at the Children’s Hospital of St. Louis. Upon arrival, the young girl immediately told doctors she experienced sexual abuse from her father, triggering a mandatory report of the allegations to authorities.

Court documents show that the girl's father has a criminal record and is on probation for domestic abuse.

"Petitioner and the GAL asked questions of Respondent about his past/current criminal convictions. Respondent testified that he is on probation until July of 2021 for disorderly conduct related to a domestic/family dispute that involved his wife and his step-daughter…Respondent testified that he has a temper and that there have been arguments at his house, although he testified that things have improved and he is working … on this issue. These facts trouble the Court greatly, but the Court finds Respondent credible in his testimony that he is working on his anger issues," the court documents read.

Court documents also show that the father brought the young girl to the home of his father who is reportedly a level-three sex offender. He had been convicted of "rape/fear, force, and sexual battery" according to the registry, PJ Media reports.