A judge gave the Hauppauge man convicted of abducting a 10-year-old girl in broad daylight a 17-year prison sentence Thursday.

The crime took place in October of 2006. The girl was riding her bike on Lincoln Boulevard in Hauppauge when Michael Burkhardt grabbed her and threw her in his car. He drove a few blocks, handcuffed her, put duct tape over her mouth and then let her go.

Brukhardt apologized for the incident in court. ?Every night I pray that you don?t let what I did change who you are and that you persevere and live a very happy and normal life,? Burkhardt said.

Meanwhile, the victim?s mother, Nanette Monti, also spoke in court about how her daughter has changed because of the incident.

?She watches over her shoulder all the time,? Monti said. ?She isn?t trusting anymore. Just walking from the car to the house, her eyes are darting all over.?

Burkhardt must also register as a sex offender. Though no sex crime was committed, state law mandates when a kidnapping victim is under the age of 17, the kidnapper can be classified as a sex offender.