The parents of a teen who was briefly kidnapped by a previously convicted kidnapper were in a New London courtroom Wednesday for the sentencing of Matthew Klotz, who had jumped out of bushes and grabbed their daughter as she took a walk near Shore Avenue and South Prospect Street in Groton on June 18, 2018. 

Klotz, 35, had pleaded guilty to second-degree kidnapping in January.

The 16-year-old girl had fought off Klotz as he attempted to force her into his running truck. She ran to a nearby car and was picked up by people who had witnessed the attack, and they drove her to the Groton City Police headquarters.

She was able to provide information, including a detailed physical description of her attacker, that led to his identification.

The teen had scratched Klotz on the arms during the struggle, and investigators took nail clippings and scrapings from her that the state laboratory tested and confirmed contained Klotz's DNA, according to an arrest warrant written by Detective Daniel Grimm.

The parents sat silently in court as Victim Services Advocate Stephanie Barber read their written statement, which noted that while their daughter was able to get away physically from Klotz, she did not walk away unscathed.

"She has experienced severe bouts of depression and anxiety that has impacted her quality of life and ability to interact with others," they had written. "The minor physical wounds from the attempted abduction have healed, but there is no timetable for mending her underlying emotional wounds."

While defendants usually stand before a judge for sentencing, Klotz remained at the MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution due to the coronavirus pandemic, and was linked to the courtroom by video feed.

Superior Court Judge Hillary B. Strackbein sentenced him to 20 years in prison, suspended after eight years served, followed by five years of probation, and issued a protective order that prohibits Klotz from contact with the victim for life.

The judge ordered him to enter immediately into intensive inpatient treatment for mental illness upon his release from prison, saying that was the only reason she accepted the plea deal that had been worked out between prosecutor Theresa Anne Ferryman and Klotz's attorney, Andrew P. O'Shea.

Klotz may not be able to go into treatment immediately, since he also faces a charge of violation of parole in Rhode Island, having been convicted of a similar offense in October 2011.

He said over the video feed that he was truly sorry for his reckless actions and that he hopes the teen can forgive him one day. He apologized also to his mother, who had stood up to tell the judge her son is a talented builder who never misses Catholic Mass, but suffers from mental illness that at times has led him down a bad path.

"He has paid dearly for his mistakes, and now continues to do so," his mother said.

She said that while his case was pending, she was able to get him evaluated by doctors at Yale New Haven Hospital, who gave him a new diagnosis of borderline personality disorder and recommended a new treatment called dialectical behavior therapy.

Klotz's attorney said that while the defense appreciates the gravity of the incident, it was important to note that in the middle of the attack, Klotz recognized what he was doing and stopped. He urged the girl to run once she broke loose, according to O'Shea.

In the prosecutor's remarks, Ferryman said, "The sentence, which involves substantial incarceration and very specific conditions of probation, reflects the careful work of the parties and the court to fashion a sentence that reflects the terrifying nature of the encounter and the real emotional trauma to the victim, while at the same time recognizing that the incident was stopped short of becoming what it might have, and what (it) looked like, what was intended."

Judge Strackbein said she agreed with Klotz's mother's statement that society has a long way to go to address mental illness, but that the problem is when it inflicts pain on another person. She told Klotz she hopes he has empathy for the teen, who will take a long time to recover, and said that if he follows the rules in prison, and during treatment, he could have a successful life.

Klotz, a 2005 graduate of Stonington High School, has suffered from learning disabilities and psychiatric issues since he was a teen, and has been in and out of hospitals and prisons, according to court records and testimony.

In 2000, at age 16, he was charged with breaking into his 88-year-old neighbor's house and trying to sexually assault her. He denied the attempted sexual assault but pleaded guilty to second-degree burglary, receiving a suspended seven-year prison term and four years' probation.

Police said he attempted to abduct a 20-year-old woman who was jogging in Narragansett, R.I., in October 2011. He was sentenced to eight years in prison followed by 12 years of probation after he pleaded no contest to kidnapping, carrying a firearm and stalking.

k.florin@theday.com