WARNING: This article contains abuse details.
A Canadian teenager returned to Oregon, almost three years after she was kidnapped and taken to the state from her home in Edmonton, to see the man who prepared and abused her going to prison.
The girl, who CBC News does not name her identity as a victim of sexual aggression, was 13 when she was taken from her high school, hidden from her family for eight days and sexually abused.
Noah Madrano declared himself guilty in January two of the six federal positions of the United States he faced after the FBI agents caught him with the girl in a hotel room in a suburb of Portland, Oregon, in July 2022.
After contacting and manipulating the girl online for a year, starting when she was 12 years old, Madrano traveled to Edmonton twice to abuse her in person, the second time, taking her back along the border between the United States and Canada in the trunk of her car.
Together with her family members at the Judgment Hearing on Tuesday, the teenager went to the United States District Court in Portland.
“I stay here today with pride and strength,” he said.
“At first I felt that I would be just reading my impact statement here. However, I am not alone. I am here with all the other victims of sexual violence, who never received justice in my heart.”
The American superior district judge Michael Mosman gave Madrano a 50 -year prison sentence for the sexual exploitation of a child and the transport of a minor with the intention of participating in criminal sexual activities.
It is not of the possible life sentence that carries its second offense, and that the Federal prosecutor Mira Chernick argued that he should receive.
But with decades to serve, Madrano, 43, could still end up spending the rest of his life behind bars.
Madrano must register as a sexual offender. In addition, it faces state positions from the United States, which have not yet been resolved.
Edmonton’s police service previously said in a statement that Madrano was not accused in Canada, because his case was treated by US authorities.
The interim American prosecutor of the district of Oregon, William Narus, said in a statement on Tuesday that the sentence is “the result of the extraordinary efforts of the victim, the victim’s family, his community and the police here and in Canada.”
‘Dangerous, without reference and persistent’
The teenager said she has blocked parts of what happened to her, but sometimes she still receives flashes of what she described as “endless nights of abuse.”
She told the Court that Madrano forced her to dye her hair to disguise her, repeatedly took videos of her and threatened to kill her despite affirming that she loved her. At one point, he held his head underwater in the bathroom of a hotel.
The girl’s mother told court in her victim’s impact statement that her daughter had a cell phone, but the family implemented parental controls and monitored her activity. The mother said that Madrano managed to contact the girl through a music program with a chat function that was on a device issued by school.
Chernick, the prosecutor, said Tuesday that it is rare for his office to recommend a life imprisonment, but Madrano’s behavior “exhibited a depravity level that we rarely see in this district.”
She called him “dangerous, impenitent and persistent,” arguing that his rehabilitation perspectives are practically non -existent.
She said that Madrano previously traveled to another state in an attempt to meet with a young different teenager before focusing on Edmonton’s girl, lying on who she was in online conversations and continuously increasing her exploitation.
Once Madrano was in jail, he continued trying to access a USB impulse that contained child sexual abuse, Chernick said.
“This defendant, even in his sentence materials, is asking this court to see him as the immature who was manipulated and coerced by the victim, who was 13 years old,” he told the court.
“The fact that it may think is a credible story to tell about what happened here shows how dangerous it is.”
Defensor lawyer Justin Rusk asked Judge Mosman to consider a sentence of almost 25 years.
He said that he still equals approximately one third of his client ‘life, saying that Madrano needs the opportunity to address his “previously not treated problems” with mental illnesses and pedophilia.
The judge considers Madrano’s explanation ‘a complete lie’
Madrano gave his own statement in court.
He read of a letter he wrote before the audience that described as “a truthful story of my misdeeds”, apologizing for the impact of his actions on his family and a local community radio station where he previously offered as a volunteer.
He said he is repentant and said that “I just wanted the best” for the girl who victimized.
“Although I was only trying to help her, I am aware that these actions were wrong and the consequences extend beyond her and deeply affect her family,” he said.
When Madrano finished speaking, Judge Mosman said that “categorically rejects” that version of events.
“Its story … is ridiculous, painfully blind, oblivious to the damage that causes even repeating it today, and not justified by any of the facts of the case,” he said.
“Mr. Madrano, while expressing the word remorse, continues to maintain a story that is a complete lie about what happened.”
The judge said he sees Madrano’s point of view as additional evidence of his low probability of rehabilitation. But finally he decided not to issue the maximum penalty of life in prison.
At the end of her statement, Edmonton’s teenager read poetry that she had written to express her feelings about what Madrano took her.
He asked for a long prayer for the man who abused her.
“I deserve to be free. He doesn’t.”
If you are in immediate or fears for your safety or that of others around you, call 911. To obtain support in your area, you can search for local crisis and services through the Finish the database of the Canada Violence Association.
