Kevin Maryk sentenced to 4 years for abducting his 2 children

Manitoba Judge Ted Lismer sentenced Kevin Maryk to four years in prison on Thursday for abducting his two children. With credit for time served, Maryk will be released in 374 days.

Four years? That's on par with how many years the kids were taken from me and that's not fair, said the children's mother, Emily Cablek.

In June, Maryk pleaded guilty to abducting his five-year-old daughter Abby and seven-year-old son DominicMaryk.

Abby and Dominic went missing in August 2008 and weren't found until May 2012 in a townhouse complex in Guadalajara, Mexico.

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At the time of their disappearance, the children were on atwo-week vacation as part of a court-approved visit withMaryk. Cablek has legal custody.

Police got a break in the case in 2012 when a neighbour inGuadalajara called authorities afterrecognizing the children in a Crime Stoppers video that aired in Mexico. They were then brought back to Cablek in Winnipeg.

In June of this year,Maryk pleaded guilty to two counts of abduction, one for each of the children. In return for the plea, theCrown dropped three other abduction-related charges against him.

On Thursday, Lismersaid Maryk was a "genial enough father" but failed to provide "basic necessities guaranteed to every child in Canada."

It's pretty much a joke to him, and he pretty much got away with it. How many years is it going to be before he's trying to take the kids away from me again?- Emily Cablek, mother of abducted children Abby and Dominic

Maryk has already served 678 days in a Canadian jail, as well as 171 days in a Mexican jail. Lismer gave Maryka total of 1,077 days of credit for time served, leaving 347 left for Maryk to serve now.

Lismer said the Crown's submission of five years was "not out of line," but four years was a more reasonable sentence.

He also ruled Marykcan't have any contact with his children while he serves his remaining time.

Cablektold reporters outside the courtroom she's disappointed with the sentence. She hoped he would be sentenced to 10 years.

It's pretty much a joke to him, and he pretty much got away with it, she said. How many years is it going to be before he's trying to take the kids away from me again?

Cablek will now have to go through the family court system to prevent Marykfrom seeing the children when he is released from jail.

"Now, do I look forward to a life of being harassed by my ex for the rest of my life?" Cablek asked reporters. "Are the kids going to go through the mind games and being bounced between mom and dad?"

Sentencing delayed repeatedly

Maryk's sentencing hearing dragged on over the summer before Lismerheard final arguments in August. Hereserved his decision until Thursday.

The Crown, which has described the conditions the children were kept in as deplorable, with no access to school, medical care or friends, was asking for a five-year prison sentence.

Before delivering his sentence, Lismer said the children both had significant shortfalls in their education level as a result of the abduction.

The defence said Maryk made a mistake based on concern for hischildren.

Defence lawyer Todd Bourcier said Maryk was worried thechildren's mother was returning to a life of prostitution anddruguse. There is no chance Maryk would attempt to abduct Dominic orAbby again, he said.

Lismer disputed that in his delivery of the sentence, saying Marykwas still plotting to take his children.

Bourcier told Lismerduring the sentencing hearingthatMaryk is not "the monster the Crown ismaking him out to be" but rather "a father who made a badmistake."

In a recorded police statement played for Lismerin the summer, Cablek saidboth kids have struggled to catch up in school and make friendssince they returned. She said she is terrified something terriblewill happen again and worriesabout her children being in contactwith their father.

A week before Maryk'splea, one of his accomplices, RobertGroen, was sentenced to a year in jail after pleading guilty to abduction-related charges.

A third man, Cody McKay, who isMaryk'snephew, isstill at large and a Canada-wide warrant remains for his arrest.