(10/20/06) RIVERHEAD - An ex-Marine from Suffolk County pleaded not guilty Friday to the kidnapping of a 10-year-old girl two weeks ago.

Michael Burkhardt, 30, stands accused of grabbing the girl off her bike while she was riding on Atlantic Place in Hauppauge. Prosecutors say Burkhardt grabbed the girl so violently her clothes ripped. According to the prosecution, he threw the girl in the backseat of his car, handcuffed her and duct taped her eyes and mouth. Police say the suspect drove two blocks away, but released the girl due to her screaming and defiance.

Burkhardt's defense attorney claims his client's confession was coerced out of him by police. He says the married former Marine was at his job as a computer repairman when the abduction took place. Bail was set for $1 million and Burkhardt will return to court on November 15.