The man found guilty of kidnapping a girl from the Deerfoot Outlet Mall has been sentenced to nine years behind bars.

John Dionne has also been deemed a dangerous offender and because of time already served, will only spend the next seven years locked up.

The man admitted to impersonating a police officer and telling her she was being arrested for shoplifting in February 2011, to get the little girl to come with him.

During the abduction of the ten-year-old, Dionne was actually stopped by police near Airdrie with the girl in the car, but was let go after speaking with police.

The 10-year-old was then dropped off at a McDonald’s restaurant.