U.S. man pleads guilty to abducting and abusing Edmonton girl

A man accused of abducting an Edmonton junior high student over the U.S. border and sexually abusing her has pleaded guilty to two federal U.S. charges.

Noah Madrano, 43, was arrested by FBI agents in July 2022 in Oregon City, Ore., with police saying he was found with the 13-year-old girl who had been missing for more than a week.

CBC News is not naming the girl, or her family members, to protect her identity as a minor.

Madrano admitted Monday in the U.S. District Court of Oregon to two of the six federal charges he faced: sexual exploitation of a child and transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.

In the brief hearing in Portland, Ore., U.S. District Court Judge Michael Mosman asked Madrano for his plea on each count.

"Guilty," Madrano responded both times.

Throughout the proceedings, Madrano gave short answers to a series of questions from the judge, acknowledging he understood the details of the plea agreement and the consequences of forgoing a trial.

He faces a possible maximum sentence of life in prison. One of the charges carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years, and the second comes with a 10-year mandatory minimum. Madrano's sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 8.

The charges are both felonies, and Madrano will be required to register as a sex offender.

In an interview Monday, the girl's parents said they're relieved their daughter, now in high school, will not have to testify in a trial.

"She won't be revictimized by having to recount the egregious abuse that she suffered at his hands," the girl's mother said.

"That was part of the reason we wanted to go through a plea bargaining process and arrive at a guilty plea today."

In Madrano's plea agreement, he admits that he was in contact with the girl online for about a year, and sought sexually explicit content from her.

He travelled to Canada twice to meet the girl in person — the first time, in May 2022, he sexually abused her and filmed it. He took the video back to Oregon and edited it into multiple versions, including one where he superimposed text over it saying the victim was 13 years old.

The second time, a little less than a month later, he "absconded" with the girl from outside her school and hid her in a hotel room for several days. Then, on July 1, 2022, he put her in the rear cargo space of his car and drove across the border to the U.S., taking her to another hotel where the sexual abuse continued.

Under the plea agreement, Madrano is waiving his right to appeal.

'She's got dreams and aspirations'

The girl's father said two and a half years later, his daughter is moving on with her life, but there are still difficult days.

"[She] is actually a source of strength for our family through this whole thing," he said.

"She's hopeful for the future. She's got dreams and aspirations. ... We're very proud of her. That said, she's got a lifetime of pain and suffering to go through unfortunately. We're always going to be there for her, and we're hopeful she can have a normal life."

The family is also using the experience to advocate for online protections for children.

"Our daughter and our family's lives are forever changed, and we know we're not alone when it comes to online harms," the mother said.

"Online regulation and reform in Canada is really needed at this stage to keep children safe."

Madrano also faces state charges in Oregon. The girl's parents said their understanding is that might change, depending on the outcome of the upcoming sentence.

The family is planning to travel to the U.S. for the sentencing date to give victim impact statements.

The girl's mother said they will be asking for Madrano to stay in prison as long as possible.