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Plea: Duluth Man Sexually Abused Girl, 13, In Wis.

DULUTH (WCCO) A 41-year-old man from Duluth is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to taking a 13-year-old girl across state lines to sexually assault her, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

They said Todd Richard Franik admitted he told the girl he needed help to get her to come close. Then he abducted her, took her into Wisconsin and sexually assaulted her.

Court documents say it happened at about 3 p.m. Aug. 2 in Duluth. The girl was walking her dog when she passed Franik, who was standing by a car with the hood up. He lured her closer by asking for directions to the zoo, then grabbed her and the dog and forced them into the trunk.

Investigators determined he then drove around for 15 or 20 minutes into Wisconsin, back to Minnesota and then back again before stopping in a wooded area in Wisconsin and letting them out.

The affidavit from law enforcement goes on to say he sexually assaulted her, then stuffed a piece of his shirt into her mouth, covered it with duct tape and bound her to a fallen tree with more tape, also using tape to force the dog's mouth shut.

Then, charges say, he left her there. She was able to twist and chew through her restraints and run to a business in Superior, Wis., where she was able to get help.

Investigators suspected Franik because they were able to match evidence from the crime scene to items in his home and car. They had a description of the car, which they found and put under surveillance.

The act of crossing state lines to commit the crime made it a federal one, specifically, interstate transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. He could be sentenced to life in prison, but faces a mandatory sentence of at least 10 years. A sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.

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