Abigail Hanna, a former babysitter from Topsfield, has pleaded guilty to numerous charges following her kidnapping and abuse of a Hamilton toddler last November.

Essex County District Attorney spokesperson Carrie Kimball Monahan said Hanna changed her plea on Friday, Oct. 14, at Salem Superior Court.

Hanna, 22, pled guilty to: breaking and entering in the nighttime for a felony kidnapping, assault and battery on a child causing bodily harm, and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon on a child under 14.

She was sentenced to five to seven years in state prison followed by 10 years of probation.

Hanna broke into the home of a Hamilton family she had previously babysat for in the early morning hours of Nov. 24, 2015, and abducted a then 2-year-old girl she previously had taken care of.

The girl was found later that morning on the side of Newbury Street in Rowley with “her head shaved and had sustained burns from what appeared to be a cigarette,” according to a police report.

In recommending a 10- to 15-year state prison sentence, Essex Assistant District Attorney Kristen Buxton told the court that the family's pain and suffering has not abated in the time since the incident.

"This is a parent's worst nightmare; a person comes into your home in the middle of the night and takes your child," Buxton said. "This defendant's appearance today is not consistent with the horror she inflicted on this family and this community."

"This defendant caused immeasurable harm to a young, defenseless child and her family," said District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett. "Her actions warrant a state prison sentence and my only hope is that this provides the family with a reprieve during which they can re-build their sense of security."

Hamilton Police Chief Russell Stevens also spoke with harsh words about the impact Hanna has had in Hamilton.

"This incident inflicted damage not only on a young child and her family but an entire community," Stevens said. "I remain grateful to all of the first responders and the passersby who found the child alive that day."

While on probation, Hanna must stay 100 yards away from the victim and her family, is banned from entering the town of Hamilton, must stay 50 yards away from schools and playgrounds, may not have unsupervised contact with children under 16, must obtain mental health treatment and take all medication as prescribed, must remain alcohol and marijuana free and submit to random screens.

During the first two years of her probation, she will be monitored by a GPS device and she is required by statute to register as a sex offender. The status of a sex offender is only applied due to the fact she kidnapped a child and not because of any sexual component to the crime.

Hanna was returned to custody at MCI Framingham with 328 days of credit. She was represented by Attorney Susan McNeil.