Sheepshead Child Abductor Sentenced To 15 Years

It’s one of a parent’s worst nightmares — having your child abducted while they play in the yard. That is what almost happened, and the Sheepshead Bay man who attempted this has now been sentenced to 15 years in prison.

Today, Sheepshead Bay man Robert Drach, 39, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for trying to abduct a 9-year-old girl as she played in front of her Brooklyn home. In November 2016, the defendant was convicted of attempted kidnapping and other charges after a jury trial.

According to trial testimony, Drach was walking to his friend’s house on June 11, 2015, at around 7am, when he saw the 9-year-old girl playing in her front yard on Ford Street. He walked through the front gate, pulled out his genitalia, and tried to drag the girl out of the yard, according to Acting District Attorney Eric Gonzalez.

The girl’s father heard his daughter’s screams from inside the house, and he ran out and was able to detain Drach until police arrived, according to prosecutors.

“This defendant brazenly invaded what should have been a safe haven for the victim, a child, who was playing in her front yard,” said Acting District Attorney Gonzalez. “We’re grateful that this defendant will be unable to harm other children any time soon, and that the father’s quick actions averted greater tragedy here.”