BALLSTON SPA — Craig Ross Jr., the man arrested after the abduction of a child in Moreau Lake State Park last fall, pleaded guilty Wednesday to charges in the case and now faces a sentence of 47 years to life in state prison.
The case gained nationwide attention and headlines last September. The then-9-year-old was missing for two days before being rescued.
The sentence connected to the plea deal will likely keep Ross in prison for the rest of his life. The sentence means Ross wouldn't have any chance of parole until he was in his early 90s.
Ross, 46, admitted in court to counts of kidnapping and predatory sexual assault of a child. Ross, who was represented by county Conflict Defender Matthew Maiello, also pleaded guilty to raping the child.
Ross admitted to abducting a child on Sept. 30 when she disappeared while camping with friends and family at Moreau Lake State Park. A ransom note and a two-decade-old fingerprint taken from a drunk driving arrest helped lead investigators to Ross. The child was found alive two days after first being taken at a residence connected to Ross, authorities have said.
Saratoga County District Attorney Karen Heggen commended the efforts of law enforcement and the community in the case.
“Today, the question of who is responsible for those heinous acts and those criminal charges, the answer is Craig Ross Jr.,” Heggen said. “As a result of the plea today, we anticipate at the time of sentencing in April . . . Judge James Murphy will be sentencing him to an aggregate of 47 years-to-life.”
Heggen said the guilty pleas will mean the case will not go to trial, and the victim of Ross’ crimes will not have to testify.
An order of protection will also be issued for the victim, a young girl from the Capital Region.
In court Wednesday, the judge asked Ross a series of questions about his plea, including if he understood it and if he was choosing to accept the plea voluntarily.
The judge also asked Ross about the basic details of the crime.
“Mr. Ross, did you, in the town of Milton in the county of Saratoga, state of New York, on or about Sept. 30, 2023 to Oct. 2, 2023, abduct another person?” Murphy asked in court. “And your intent was to compel a third person to pay or deliver money or property as ransom?”
Ross answered the judge’s questions with, “Yes.”
Ross was indicted in November on five charges. In addition to the two he pleaded guilty to Wednesday, he had also faced counts of first-degree sexual abuse, second-degree assault and endangering the welfare of a child.
Assistant Saratoga County District Attorney Jennifer L. Buckley, who prosecuted the case, said the guilty plea satisfies the remainder of Ross’ indictment.
He is scheduled to be sentenced April 17 at 2 p.m.