Duluth man pleads guilty to summer abduction

A Duluth man pleaded guilty Friday to kidnapping and sexual assault charges involving a 13-year-old girl.

Todd Richard Franik, 41, admitted that on Aug. 2 in Duluth he forced the girl and her dog into the trunk of his car. He then drove to a wooded area in Wisconsin near the border with Minnesota.

Police said Franik bound the girl to a tree, covered her mouth with duct tape and left her after the assault.

The girl was able to free herself from the restraints and walk to a nearby business with her dog.

Officials said the girl offered a detailed description the car, which placed Franik in a nearby parking lot the next day.

Police spotted the duct tape in his car and later found evidence in his house. Shoes that yielded a matching tread pattern to footprints found in the woods were also uncovered.

Franik pleaded guilty to one count of interstate transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. He faces a maximum penalty of life in prison, with a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years.

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