GRAPHIC WARNING: This article contains graphic details that may be disturbing.
An indictment was unsealed in U.S. federal court Monday, charging 41-year-old Noah Madrano from Gladstone, Ore., with abducting and sexually abusing a Canadian child he allegedly met online.
A news release from the U.S. Department of Justice offered more details about the alleged scheme to extort, kidnap and abuse a 13-year-old girl from Edmonton.
On Sept. 20, a federal grand jury in Portland returned an indictment charging Madrano with travelling in interstate or foreign commerce with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, sexually exploiting a child, transporting a child interstate with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, and possessing child pornography.
An indictment is an accusation of a crime, and none of the charges have been proven in court.
Last week, Madrano was ordered to provide the passcode to his cellphone by a judge in the state of Oregon.
According to court documents and proceedings, Madrano met a child online whom he allegedly sexually exploited for more than a year.
He is accused of travelling to Canada to meet the child in person and taking her to a hotel room before allegedly sexually abusing her and recording it. He then returned to the U.S., according to court documents.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office alleges Madrano later returned to Canada, abducted the child from outside her school, and took her to another hotel room.
“At the hotel, Madrano made the child dye her hair and wear a hooded sweatshirt to disguise her appearance,” the news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office alleges.
“Madrano abused the child for several days. After briefly returning to the U.S., Madrano again returned to Canada, picked up the child and drove her back to the U.S. in the trunk of his vehicle. Madrano brought the child to a hotel room in Oregon where he continued abusing her,” the news release alleges.
In the early morning hours of July 2, FBI and Oregon City Police officers got inside Madrano’s hotel room and allegedly found him there with the minor.
He was arrested and indicted on state and federal charges. The child was taken into protective custody and returned to her parents in Canada.
Madrano made his first appearance in U.S. federal court on Monday. He was arraigned and pleaded not guilty. A five-day jury trial is scheduled to begin on Dec. 13. Madrano remains in custody pending a detention hearing set for Nov. 2.
“If convicted, Madrano faces a maximum sentence of life in federal prison with a 15-year mandatory minimum,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office news release states.
A spokesperson for the Edmonton police said its investigation is ongoing — EPS is still working with its U.S. partners and “there are no other updates.”
Glori Meldrum, founder of Little Warriors, said her heart breaks for this family.
“Imagine the poor little girl going through trial twice. Number one: that’s horrific. It’s awful. And number two: the details of this case in particular are vicious, they really are… And if you actually look up the definition of these charges, it’s worse.
“This family is going to have to go through two trials. They’ve got the one in mid-December at a federal level, and then at the state level, they’ve got to go back in March.
“It can’t be easy.”
Meldrum said the community has to stand up for kids.
“I hope that everybody is being kind and loving to her that knows her, that’s in her life or that recognizes her and the family. I hope there is that decency, I really, really do.
“We need to make sure that the kids get help,” she added.
Meldrum is a survivor herself and founder of the Be Brave Ranch, which supports child sexual abuse victims and helps them in their healing process.
“We don’t just get sexually abused; we lose our trust, we lose our innocence, we lose all of those things, and there is a piece of our life that is taken away.”
She also said these types of crimes are becoming more common.
“We are seeing an increase in these types of cases — sextortion, luring — and we are not advanced enough on the (internet) to control this.
“I have kids reaching out and parents disclosing… I can’t even tell you how many of those I have a week, that’s why I know how massive a problem it is.”