The father of the Edmonton girl who had been missing for nine days said he was preparing to post new information on Facebook last Saturday when police knocked on his door.
“And they just said, ‘Look, we have good news.’ So we met with the police, three detectives came. And they told us that my daughter was in Portland, that she was in the care of the FBI,” the father, whom CTV News is not identifying to protect his daughter’s identity, said Tuesday morning. “It was surreal, my legs went numb, I couldn’t believe it. It was honestly as good as the day she was born. So we booked flights and were at the airport in an hour.”
The 13-year-old girl went missing on Friday, June 24, and was found in Oregon City, Oregon, on July 2.
Noah Madrano, 40, was charged with kidnapping, rape and sexual assault by the Clackamas County District Attorney on Tuesday afternoon, court documents show, and bail was set at $500,000.
He pleaded not guilty and his next court appearance is scheduled for July 12.
Noah Madrano, 40, was arrested in Oregon, US after the Edmonton teenager was missing for more than a week. (Source: Facebook)
The Clackamas County District Attorney told CTV News the US government is expected to file more charges, and the Edmonton Police Service said the defendants will be charged with child luring.
“We feel really confident that he won’t be out on bail at this point and we really hope he isn’t,” the victim’s father said. “We have been assured that they will insist that he remains behind bars.
“MEETING HER WAS AMAZING”
The father said the FBI brought his daughter to the family’s hotel room.
The girl, not the most “overly loving person” according to her father, hugged her parents “quite tightly”.
“It was a lot of tears, a lot of hugs,” he said. “Meeting her again was amazing.”
The father said they are doing well and enjoying spending time with family and friends.
“We are all really shaken up by this. It’s pretty surreal. But then again, we’re surrounded by so many people right now.”
“INNOCENT CONVERSATIONS GOT VERY SERIOUS”
The victim’s father says the accused has been talking to his daughter on multiple online platforms.
“What I can say is that this happened, what my daughter thought were innocent conversations turned into something very sinister online,” her father said.
“Unfortunately, my daughter was that target. She was attracted to this individual.’
On Saturday, EPS said it believed the accused came to Edmonton and then spent several days in Mission, British Columbia, with the victim before they crossed the border.
In the nine days she was missing, family and friends searched for the victim around Edmonton and put up hundreds of posters.
Her father believes those efforts and online attention bought police time to investigate and eventually find her.
“She saw her face, she saw the coverage, she saw me and her friends and family on the news report, on Facebook, looking for her,” he said. “I strongly believe that is why there was such a delay in her crossing the border. She was curled up in certain places, they couldn’t move, and that’s why it was so important. He had intentions for my daughter and I truly believe that with the help of the public and all the businesses and the media, he stopped it from happening and really delayed it long enough for the police to find her.”
Now he is urging parents not to let their guard down, stressing that the internet is a “very dangerous place”.
In a statement, the accused’s family said:
“No words from us will ease the trauma suffered by the young victim and the victim’s family. If such words existed, we would offer them with all the sorrow and anguish that fills our hearts. Our greatest hope is that this young person and their family are able to heal through a combination of time, support and love.
“We love Noah unconditionally, which includes loving him through even the most unthinkable acts. Our love does not mean that we condone, condone, or belittle these actions—strongly, we do not. There is no excuse for hurting a child. request that our privacy be respected so we can begin processing these events.”
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