Craig Ross Jr. Sentenced to 47 Years to Life for Kidnapping Girl from Upstate New York Park
Ross pleaded guilty to kidnapping and child sex assault charges in February for the attack on a girl, 9, last year, who read a victim impact statement at the sentencing
Will Waldron/The Albany Times Union via AP
Craig N. RossThe man who kidnapped a 9-year-old girl last year while she was camping with her family has been sentenced to 47 years to life, Saratoga County District Attorney's Office announced in a statement.
Craig Ross Jr., 47, was sentenced by a Saratoga County judge on April 17, according to the statement, which was obtained by PEOPLE.
In February, Ross pleaded guilty to first-degree kidnapping and predatory sexual assault against the child for the September kidnapping, which occurred at Moreau Lake State Park in Saratoga County, N.Y., WRGB reported at the time.
The child was safely rescued two days after her disappearance, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced at a press conference the time. Police were able to locate her by tracking fingerprints left on a ransom note sent by Ross, Hochul said.
The fingerprints matched with those documented in a 1999 driving while intoxicated case in the city of Saratoga, which led police to identify Ross as the kidnapper, Hochul said at the press conference.
The judge sentenced Ross to 25 years to life for the kidnapping offense and 22 years for predatory sexual assault of a child, to be served consecutively, per the April 17 statement.
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In court on Wednesday, the victim and her family shared victim impact statements.
"The parents relayed how the defendant's actions have impacted them and their family," the DA's office statement reads. "They spoke about the strength and character of their child."
The child also shared about the impact of the crime and expressed her bravery as a survivor, per the statement, and ended her statement by saying "...With no fear..."
Ross' defense attorney Matthew Maiello declined to comment on the sentencing.
If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
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