Pennsylvania man sentenced in connection with abduction of Grand Island girl

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) -- A Pennsylvania man received an aggregate sentence of nine to 18 years in prison in connection with the abduction of a girl from her Grand Island home last year, the Erie County District Attorney's Office announced.

Dale R. Kumler, 26, of Glen Rock, Pennsylvania abducted the victim in May 2023 after meeting her online while playing Xbox, officials said last year. The two used different methods to communicate.

Officials said that Kumler admitted to picking up the victim on Grand Island to investigators, but then allegedly lied that he had dropped her off in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

After a search warrant was obtained for Kumler’s Pennsylvania address, authorities located the victim on the premises, officials said. The victim was later reunited with her family and was not believed to have been injured.

The case against Kumler was prosecuted by the York County District Attorney's Office in Pennsylvania, and he pleaded guilty in May 2024 to charges of statutory sexual assault, corruption of minors and unlawful contact of minors.

As a result of Kumler's sentence in Pennsylvania, the Erie County District Attorney's Office agreed to dismiss the charge of second-degree kidnapping against him in New York State. The agreement was made with the consent of the victim and the victim's mother, the DA's office said.

“This agreement protected the victim from potentially further traumatization by reliving her experience through testimony while ensuring that the defendant received a significant sentence of incarceration for this crime," said Acting Erie County District Attorney Mike Keane in a release.

"I commend the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, Pennsylvania State Police, and the FBI for their work in this investigation, which resulted in the quick apprehension of the defendant and the safe recovery of the victim. Also, I want to thank the York County District Attorney’s Office for their successful prosecution of this case and working with the victim, the victim’s mother, and our office on this agreement."

"As a father, I cannot imagine how difficult this has been for the victim and the victim's family," said Erie County Sheriff Garcia in a statement. "My thoughts and prayers are with them. With Mr. Kumler receiving a significant prison sentence, justice is being served."