Nixon Gets 26 Months for Kidnapping Daughter, Fleeing to Canada

PEORIA, IL – A desperate bid to evade a custody battle landed Sarah M. Nixon, 48, of Montreal, Canada, a 26-month federal prison sentence. Nixon was convicted in December of international parental kidnapping, a charge stemming from her calculated flight with her six-year-old daughter to Canada in July 2015. The sentencing was handed down by U.S. District Judge Colin S. Bruce in the Central District of Illinois.

The scheme unfolded after a contentious custody trial signaled a likely loss for Nixon. Rather than face the court’s decision, Nixon spirited her daughter away in the dead of night, crossing the border into Canada. When Nixon failed to appear for the ruling and both mother and child vanished, authorities immediately issued a child abduction alert, triggering a frantic search.

The trail led investigators to a remote farmhouse in rural Ontario, Canada, where Nixon and her daughter were eventually located. The child was safely returned to her father, but Nixon’s attempt to circumvent the legal process didn’t end there. She was apprehended in New York on September 20, 2015, while attempting to re-enter the United States, facing immediate charges for her actions.

Prosecutors presented evidence at trial demonstrating Nixon’s intent to obstruct the father’s lawful rights to custody of his daughter. The evidence painted a clear picture of a deliberate act, not a panicked reaction. The jury swiftly found Nixon guilty on one count of international parental kidnapping, a serious federal offense.

“This case underscores the Justice Department’s commitment to vigorously prosecute those who attempt to illegally remove children across international borders,” stated Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco. Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick D. Hansen added that the sentence reflects the severity of the crime and the importance of protecting children from such brazen acts.

The investigation was a collaborative effort led by the FBI, alongside the Urbana, Illinois, Police Department, University of Illinois Police Department, Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, Ontario Provincial Police, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Support was also provided by the Champaign County, Illinois, State’s Attorney’s Office and the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs. Trial Attorneys Elly M. Peirson and Lauren S. Kupersmith of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section successfully prosecuted the case, securing a conviction and a substantial prison sentence for Nixon.