CAMDEN, N.J. (AP) — A New Jersey judge ordered a man to pay $4 million plus more in interest to a girl who he kidnapped and sexually assaulted.

Liam Heim, 24, was in prison in South Carolina when New Jersey Superior Court Judge Yolanda C. Rodriguez ordered him to pay damages to the girl last week.

The girl was a seventh-grader in 2018 when he took her from Collingswood, New Jersey, to Philadelphia to assault her in a hotel. Prosecutors said Heim, who is from St. Petersburg, Florida, met the girl online through a chatting app, which she used on a laptop provided by her school.

The girl and her family sued the Collingswood School District, which agreed to pay the girl and her parents over $1 million in January.

The judgment against Heim was entered by default because he failed to respond after being served with court papers. Heim is serving a 15-year sentence.

Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Join our Newsletter for the latest news right to your inbox