(10/11/06) HAUPPAUGE ? Police have arrested a 30-year-old, married Nesconset computer repairman and accused him of abducting a young girl in Hauppauge last week.
According to police, Michael Burkhardt grabbed the 10-year-old off the street while she was out for a bike ride. They say he used duct tape in an attempt to bound and silence the girl. However, investigators believe Burkhardt got more than he bargained for when the girl continuously fought and screamed during the abduction. It is that behavior, police say, that resulted in the girl being released quickly and relatively unharmed.
According to investigators, someone connected Burkhardt to the crime based on the police vehicle description. Police say by the time they questioned Burkhardt, a former U.S. Marine, he had already gotten rid of the vehicle in an attempt to cover his tracks. A computer has been taken out of Burkhardt?s home, and police say it is a ?good assumption? child pornography could be found. Burkhardt is charged with second-degree kidnapping and faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted.
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