NEW YORK — A woman who snatched a newborn from a hospital more than two decades ago and raised the child as her own was sentenced Monday to 12 years in prison by a judge who called it a "crime of selfishness" that enhanced parents' fears and forced hospitals to boost security.

Ann Pettway, of Raleigh, N.C., nodded her head repeatedly as U.S. District Judge Kevin P. Castel announced his sentence in a Manhattan courtroom packed with relatives and friends of Pettway as well as the true parents of Carlina White, who was stolen from Harlem Hospital when she was only 19 days old.

The 50-year-old Pettway had pleaded guilty to kidnapping in February, describing how she one day in 1987 took a train from her Connecticut home to the hospital, where she posed as a nurse and reassured White's mother, who had brought her daughter to the emergency room for treatment of a high fever.

The sentence was far less than the 20 years in prison recommended by prosecutors and the Probation Department, but it was within the 10 to 12 1/2 years agreed to by prosecutors and defense lawyers when a plea agreement was signed.

Castel scolded Pettway, telling her she had "inflicted a parents' worst nightmare on a young couple," caused other parents to fear child kidnappings and led hospitals to install preventive measures to avoid similar kidnappings.

He said it was "not a crime of greed, of vengeance. But it was an act of selfishness, a crime of selfishness."

Pettway apologized, saying she was "deeply sorry for what I have done" and sought to "right my wrong and to ask for forgiveness."

Carl Tyson, the biological father, glared at Pettway, saying: "You hurt me really bad."

Joy White, the mother, said her daughter had found her but: "I still haven't found my daughter."

She said she "can't change how my daughter feels" when she talks about Pettway's relatives as if they are her own.

"My daughter is here, but she's not home yet," she said.

Outside court, Tyson said the sentence "should have been longer," but White said she was satisfied.

"If they gave her 200 years, it's still not going to make up for the time my daughter was gone," she said.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea L. Surratt said Pettway told "complicated lies" for 23 years.

In court papers, she challenged Pettway's lawyers' contention that she provided a "stable, loving and happy home," saying Pettway was convicted of five crimes while Carlina was in her custody and had confessed to cocaine use from 1983 through 2005.

In a letter to the judge, Pettway apologized, blaming untreated psychological disorders from her failed pregnancies.

"It may not sound correct on paper but I am hopelessly SORRY," her handwritten note said.

White has described encountering Pettway on the day her daughter disappeared, dressed like a nurse. "She came up to me and said to me, `Don't cry. Your daughter is going to be OK.'"

The case was solved by Carlina herself.

As she grew up in Connecticut under the name Nejdra Nance, the girl became increasingly suspicious of her own identity. Pettway ultimately told her a part-truth, admitting she was someone else's daughter but claiming she had been willingly given away by a drug addict.

Carlina White said she browsed the website of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children for clues to her identity. After matching a photo of herself with one on the site, she tracked down her true mother and they reunited in January 2011. A DNA test confirmed they were mother and child.

Joy White declined to comment about Carlina White's absence from court Monday.

In court papers, defense lawyers Robert Baum and Sabrina Shroff called Pettway "broken and severely depressed."

The lawyers said Carlina White declined to speak at the sentencing because she didn't want to go back to court and felt she had done enough work finding her biological parents.

They also noted that she is represented by counsel and has a movie project in the works.

Look at NYC's other missing children below, courtesy of the National Center For Missing And Exploited Children.
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  • JEREMIAH GEORGE HUGER Case Type: Non Family Abduction DOB: Dec 10, 1980 Sex: Male Missing Date: Jun 25, 1985 Race: Black Age Now: 31 Height: 3'6" (107 cm) Missing City: BRONX Weight: 45 lbs (20 kg) Missing State : NY Hair Color: Brown Missing Country: United States Eye Color: Brown Case Number: NCMC601769 Circumstances: Jeremiah's photo is shown age-progressed to 29 years. He was playing in his yard with other children when an unknown black male called to the child and then grabbed him. Jeremiah has a 1 1/2" scar on his left forearm. He was last seen wearing a light blue shirt, dark blue shorts, and white sneakers.

  • JEREMIAH GEORGE HUGER, Age Progression

  • KIRK QUINTONS Case Type: Non Family Abduction DOB: Oct 23, 1971 Sex: Male Missing Date: Sep 18, 1983 Race: Black Age Now: 40 Height: 4'9" (145 cm) Missing City: NEW YORK Weight: 70 lbs (32 kg) Missing State : NY Hair Color: Black Missing Country: United States Eye Color: Brown Case Number: NCMC601872 Circumstances: Kirk's photo is shown age-progressed to 32 years. He was last seen going to the store.

  • KIRK QUINTONS, Age Progression

  • AUDREY LYN NERENBERG Case Type: Missing DOB: Sep 24, 1958 Sex: Female Missing Date: Jul 15, 1977 Race: White Age Now: 53 Height: 5'4" (163 cm) Missing City: BROOKLYN Weight: 115 lbs (52 kg) Missing State : NY Hair Color: Lt. Brown Missing Country: United States Eye Color: Brown Case Number: NCMA603933 Circumstances: Audrey's photo is shown age-progressed to 45 years. She was last seen at her residence on July 15, 1977. She has freckles on her face, shoulders, and hands. She also has a small gap between her top front teeth. Audrey may be in need of medical assistance.

  • AUDREY LYN NERENBERG, Age Progression

  • EQUILLA LYNN HODRICK Age Progression Case Type: Non Family Abduction DOB: Aug 19, 1976 Sex: Female Missing Date: Aug 12, 1985 Race: Black Age Now: 35 Height: 4'11" (150 cm) Missing City: BRONX Weight: 80 lbs (36 kg) Missing State : NY Hair Color: Brown Missing Country: United States Eye Color: Hazel Case Number: NCMC601724 Circumstances: Equilla's photo is shown age-progressed to 33 years. She was last seen running after an ice cream truck near her home on Briggs Road. She has a gap between her top front teeth, wears glasses, has pierced ears and a scar near her right eye.

  • EQUILLA LYNN HODRICK Age Progression

  • VALARIE LORRAINE CUCCIA Case Type: Missing DOB: Oct 16, 1953 Sex: Female Missing Date: May 7, 1974 Race: White Age Now: 58 Height: 5'6" (168 cm) Missing City: NEW YORK Weight: 120 lbs (54 kg) Missing State : NY Hair Color: Black Missing Country: United States Eye Color: Brown Case Number: NCMA1175398 Circumstances: Valarie was last seen on May 7, 1974. She was last seen wearing a plaid coat with a fur collar, a striped polo shirt, camel pants, and black boots with studs on the side. Valarie has a scar on her left calf.

  • HOLLY ANN HUGHES Case Type: Non Family Abduction DOB: Jan 23, 1974 Sex: Female Missing Date: Jul 15, 1981 Race: White Age Now: 38 Height: 4'0" (122 cm) Missing City: STATEN ISLAND Weight: 50 lbs (23 kg) Missing State : NY Hair Color: Brown Missing Country: United States Eye Color: Blue Case Number: NCMC601770 Circumstances: Holly's photo is shown age-progressed to 35 years. She was last seen at Richmond Terrace and Park Avenue in Staten Island, New York, wearing blue shorts, a beige bathing suit, and brown shoes.

  • HOLLY ANN HUGHES, Age Progression

  • CESILIA PENA Case Type: Non Family Abduction DOB: Sep 4, 1962 Sex: Female Missing Date: Oct 6, 1976 Race: Hispanic Age Now: 49 Height: 4'9" (145 cm) Missing City: NEW YORK Weight: 111 lbs (50 kg) Missing State : NY Hair Color: Black Missing Country: United States Eye Color: Brown Case Number: NCMC601859 Circumstances: Cesilia's photo is shown age-progressed to 48 years. She was last seen riding the subway on her way home from school. She was wearing a parochial school uniform, a light gray jacket, a gray plain skirt, and a white blouse. She has a scar on her left forearm.

  • CESILIA PENA Age Progression

  • TIAHEASE JACKSON Case Type: Non Family Abduction DOB: Oct 5, 1972 Sex: Female Missing Date: Aug 14, 1983 Race: Black Age Now: 39 Height: 4'8" (142 cm) Missing City: STATEN ISLAND Weight: 90 lbs (41 kg) Missing State : NY Hair Color: Black Missing Country: United States Eye Color: Black Case Number: NCMC701777 Circumstances: Tiahease's photo is shown age-progressed to 38 years. She was last seen at a supermarket in Staten Island, New York. She is a diabetic, has a kidney disorder (Bright's disease) and high blood pressure.

  • TIAHEASE JACKSON Age Progression

  • MARLENE SANTANA Case Type: Non Family Abduction DOB: Oct 18, 1985 Sex: Female Missing Date: Oct 21, 1985 Race: Hispanic Age Now: 26 Height: 1'8" (51 cm) Missing City: NEW YORK Weight: 7 lbs (3 kg) Missing State : NY Hair Color: Brown Missing Country: United States Eye Color: Brown Case Number: NCMC601889 Circumstances: Marlene was three days old when she was taken at gunpoint by a female suspect who her mother met at Brookdale Hospital. The image on the right is a composite sketch of the female suspect as she appeared at the time of the abduction. The image on the left is an artist's rendering of what Marlene may have looked like at 2 years of age. The photo in the center is a composite image of what Marlene may look like at 25 years of age.

  • MARLENE SANTANA, Age Progression .

  • ANDRE TERRENCE BRYANT Case Type: Non Family Abduction DOB: Feb 17, 1989 Sex: Male Missing Date: Mar 29, 1989 Race: Black Age Now: 23 Height: 1'7" (48 cm) Missing City: BROOKLYN Weight: 10 lbs (5 kg) Missing State : NY Hair Color: Black Missing Country: United States Eye Color: Brown Case Number: NCMC721896 Circumstances: Andre's photo is shown age-progressed to 22 years. He was last seen with his mother, who was later found deceased. Mother and child had left their residence at about 2 p.m. to go shopping with two black female acquaintances in a burgundy Pontiac Grand Am, possibly with Maryland tags.

  • ANDRE TERRENCE BRYANT Age Progression

  • CHRISTOPHER MILTON DANSBY Case Type: Non Family Abduction DOB: Mar 30, 1987 Sex: Male Missing Date: May 18, 1989 Race: Black Age Now: 25 Height: 2'6" (76 cm) Missing City: NEW YORK Weight: 30 lbs (14 kg) Missing State : NY Hair Color: Black Missing Country: United States Eye Color: Brown Case Number: NCMC724088 Circumstances: Christopher's photo is shown age-progressed to 20 years. He was last seen in a park located on 114th Street and Lenox Avenue. He has a birthmark shaped like a figure "8" on his neck.

  • CHRISTOPHER MILTON DANSBY, Age Progression

  • TIFFANY MADIA DIXON Case Type: Endangered Missing DOB: Jul 18, 1979 Sex: Female Missing Date: Oct 10, 1991 Race: Hispanic Age Now: 32 Height: 5'2" (157 cm) Missing City: BROOKLYN Weight: 105 lbs (48 kg) Missing State : NY Hair Color: Black Missing Country: United States Eye Color: Brown Case Number: NCMC760721 Circumstances: Tiffany's photo is shown age-progressed to 32 years. She walked her younger brother to his school, then continued on her way to her school, three blocks away. She never arrived at her school and has not been seen since.

  • TIFFANY MADIA DIXON Age Progression

  • AUDREY LYNN LEINOFF Case Type: Family Abduction DOB: Apr 14, 1984 Sex: Female Missing Date: May 25, 1988 Race: White Age Now: 28 Height: 3'6" (107 cm) Missing City: STATEN ISLAND Weight: 40 lbs (18 kg) Missing State : NY Hair Color: Brown Missing Country: United States Eye Color: Brown Case Number: NCMC752184 Circumstances: Audrey's photo is shown age-progressed to 25 years. She may be in the company of her mother. They may have left the country and traveled to Israel.

  • AUDREY LYNN LEINOFF Age Progression

  • SHARAUN COLE Case Type: Endangered Missing DOB: Oct 8, 1970 Sex: Female Missing Date: Feb 25, 1983 Race: Black Age Now: 41 Height: 5'6" (168 cm) Missing City: NEW YORK Weight: 110 lbs (50 kg) Missing State : NY Hair Color: Brown Missing Country: United States Eye Color: Brown Case Number: NCMC857497 Circumstances: Sharaun's photo is show aged to 39 years. She was last seen outside of her home and has not been seen or heard from since. Sharaun may also use the date of birth October 8, 1969.

  • SHARAUN COLE, Age Progression

  • DENIESE HIRAMAN Case Type: Endangered Missing DOB: Oct 6, 1985 Sex: Female Missing Date: Aug 27, 1999 Race: Black Age Now: 26 Height: 5'3" (160 cm) Missing City: QUEENS Weight: 90 lbs (41 kg) Missing State : NY Hair Color: Brown Missing Country: United States Eye Color: Brown Case Number: NCMC876542 Circumstances: Deniese's photo is shown age-progressed to 24 years. She was 13 years old when she went missing from her home in Queens, NY on August 27, 1999. Deniese is of Guyanese descent. She has a scar on her right forearm. Her ears are pierced. Deniese was known to wear non-prescription contact lenses to change the color of her eyes. She spoke fluent Guyanese and English. Her nicknames are Pinky and Pinks.

  • DENIESE HIRAMAN Age Progression

  • LEANNE MARIE HAUSBERG Case Type: Endangered Missing DOB: Aug 9, 1984 Sex: Female Missing Date: Mar 18, 1999 Race: Biracial Age Now: 27 Height: 5'4" (163 cm) Missing City: BROOKLYN Weight: 120 lbs (54 kg) Missing State : NY Hair Color: Brown Missing Country: United States Eye Color: Brown Case Number: NCMC861608 Circumstances: Leanne's photo is shown age-progressed to 24 years. She may still be in the area. She has a small scar on her right cheek. Leanne is Biracial. She is American Indian and White.

  • LEANNE MARIE HAUSBERG, Age Progression

  • PRINCESS PEREZ Case Type: Endangered Missing DOB: Nov 30, 1993 Sex: Female Missing Date: Jun 15, 1996 Race: White/Hisp Age Now: 18 Height: 2'1" (64 cm) Missing City: BRONX Weight: 25 lbs (11 kg) Missing State : NY Hair Color: Brown Missing Country: United States Eye Color: Brown Case Number: NCMC860028 Circumstances: Princess was last seen on June 15, 1996 in the Bronx area of New York City. She has not been seen since. FOUL PLAY SUSPECTED.

  • AMIRA FAROOQ MUBARAK Case Type: Family Abduction DOB: Aug 30, 1999 Sex: Female Missing Date: Aug 5, 2000 Race: Asian Age Now: 12 Height: 2'0" (61 cm) Missing City: MANHATTAN Weight: 30 lbs (14 kg) Missing State : NY Hair Color: Black Missing Country: United States Eye Color: Brown Case Number: NCMC892162 Circumstances: Amira's photo is shown age-progressed to 10 years. Amira was allegedly abducted by her father, Muhammad Farooq Butt. A felony warrant was issued for the abductor on August 18, 2000. Amira and the abductor are of Pakistani descent. Amira has a birthmark on her arm. The abductor has a mole on his chin and may have a goatee. They may have left the country.

  • AMIRA FAROOQ MUBARAK, Age Progression

  • DENISE MARIE SHEEHY Case Type: Endangered Missing DOB: Feb 20, 1954 Sex: Female Missing Date: Jul 7, 1970 Race: White Age Now: 58 Height: 5'3" (160 cm) Missing City: WOODSIDE Weight: 103 lbs (47 kg) Missing State : NY Hair Color: Brown Missing Country: United States Eye Color: Brown Case Number: NCMC924905 Circumstances: Denise's photo is shown progressed to age 52. She was last seen leaving her house on July 7, 1970 and she has not been seen or heard from since. Denise has pierced ears.

  • DENISE MARIE SHEEHY, Age Progression

  • EMILY JUAN Case Type: Family Abduction DOB: Oct 21, 2003 Sex: Female Missing Date: Sep 5, 2004 Race: Biracial Age Now: 8 Height: 2'3" (69 cm) Missing City: FLUSHING Weight: 19 lbs (9 kg) Missing State : NY Hair Color: Brown Missing Country: United States Eye Color: Brown Case Number: NCMC997267 Circumstances: Both photos on the left are of Emily. The larger photo was taken when Emily was 3 years old and the smaller inset photo was taken prior to when she went missing. The middle photo shows Emily age-progressed to 5 years. She was allegedly abducted by her mother, Nadia Juan, on September 5, 2004. A federal warrant for International Parental Kidnapping was issued for the abductor on February 17, 2005. They may have traveled to Taiwan. Emily is Biracial. She is Asian and White. Nadia may use the alias first name Mei-Fen or Julia.

  • EMILY JUAN, Age Progression

  • BRANDON MEMA Age Progression Case Type: Family Abduction DOB: Mar 7, 1998 Sex: Male Missing Date: Oct 27, 2000 Race: White Age Now: 14 Height: 2'0" (61 cm) Missing City: BROOKLYN Weight: 45 lbs (20 kg) Missing State : NY Hair Color: Blonde Missing Country: United States Eye Color: Green Case Number: NCMC1005751 Circumstances: Brandon's photo is shown age-progressed to 12 years. He may be in the company of his mother. They may still be in the local area or they may have traveled out of the state.

  • BRANDON MEMA Age Progression

  • EDMOND TILLMAN Case Type: Endangered Runaway DOB: Jan 19, 1991 Sex: Male Missing Date: Aug 10, 2005 Race: Black Age Now: 21 Height: 5'3" (160 cm) Missing City: BROOKLYN Weight: 145 lbs (66 kg) Missing State : NY Hair Color: Brown Missing Country: United States Eye Color: Brown Case Number: NCMC1023109 Circumstances: Edmond's photo is shown age-progressed to 17 years. He may still be in the local area. Edmond's left ear is pierced. His nickname is Eddie.

  • EDMOND TILLMAN, Age Progression

  • ARKADIY TASHMAN Case Type: Endangered Runaway DOB: Oct 12, 1987 Sex: Male Missing Date: Jan 26, 2005 Race: White Age Now: 24 Height: 6'2" (188 cm) Missing City: STATEN ISLAND Weight: 170 lbs (77 kg) Missing State : NY Hair Color: Lt. Brown Missing Country: United States Eye Color: Gray Case Number: NCMC1007600 Circumstances: Arkadiy's photo is shown age-progressed to 21 years. He was last seen at home on January 26, 2005. He has a pierced left ear and scars on both arms. His nickname is Ark.

  • ARKADIY TASHMAN, Age Progression

  • LIAM GABRIELE MCCARTY Case Type: Family Abduction DOB: Jul 22, 2001 Sex: Male Missing Date: Mar 6, 2007 Race: White Age Now: 10 Height: 3'5" (104 cm) Missing City: NEW YORK Weight: 45 lbs (20 kg) Missing State : NY Hair Color: Blonde Missing Country: United States Eye Color: Blue Case Number: NCMC1066323 Circumstances: The child was allegedly abducted by his mother, Manuela Antonelli. A federal warrant for International Parental Kidnapping was issued for the abductor on April 16, 2007. They are believed to have left the country and traveled to Italy.

  • SELAH LEE DAVIS Case Type: Endangered Missing DOB: Oct 20, 2007 Sex: Female Missing Date: Feb 15, 2008 Race: Black Age Now: 4 Height: 2'0" (61 cm) Missing City: BRONX Weight: 20 lbs (9 kg) Missing State : NY Hair Color: Black Missing Country: United States Eye Color: Brown Case Number: NCMC1091315 Circumstances: Selah was last seen on February 15, 2008. She may be in the company of her mother and an adult male. They may have traveled to Rochester, New York.

  • STEFAN BARBAT-ALEXANDER Case Type: Family Abduction DOB: May 16, 2000 Sex: Male Missing Date: Jul 24, 2008 Race: Biracial Age Now: 12 Height: 4'2" (127 cm) Missing City: BROOKLYN Weight: 50 lbs (23 kg) Missing State : NY Hair Color: Brown Missing Country: United States Eye Color: Brown Case Number: NCMC1105285 Circumstances: The photo in the center was taken after the child went missing, in 2010. Stefan was allegedly abducted by his mother, Marcela Barbat, on July 24, 2008. A felony warrant for Kidnapping was issued for Marcela on December 30, 2008. They are believed to be in Romania. Stefan is biracial. He is Black and White. Marcela's ears are pierced. Her nickname is Marci and she may use the last name Barbat-Alexander.

  • PATRICK KENNEDY ALFORD Case Type: Endangered Missing DOB: Nov 28, 2002 Sex: Male Missing Date: Jan 22, 2010 Race: Biracial Age Now: 9 Height: 4'8" (142 cm) Missing City: BROOKLYN Weight: 65 lbs (29 kg) Missing State : NY Hair Color: Black Missing Country: United States Eye Color: Brown Case Number: NCMC1139843 Circumstances: Patrick's photo is shown age-progressed to 9 years. He was last seen on January 22, 2010. Patrick may be in or near Brooklyn, New York. He was last seen wearing a red t-shirt, blue jeans, and blue and black Michael Jordan sneakers. Patrick is biracial. He is Black and Hispanic. Patrick has a scar on his left eyebrow.

  • PATRICK KENNEDY ALFORD, AGE PROGRESSION

  • MUSTAPHA BARRY Case Type: Family Abduction DOB: Aug 12, 2004 Sex: Male Missing Date: Jul 30, 2010 Race: Black Age Now: 7 Height: 4'3" (130 cm) Missing City: BROOKLYN Weight: 90 lbs (41 kg) Missing State : NY Hair Color: Black Missing Country: United States Eye Color: Brown Case Number: NCMC1157478 Circumstances: Mustapha may be in the company of his father. They may travel to Guinea or Sierra Leone.

  • YOUSSEF NABIL ELSAYED HASSAN Case Type: Family Abduction DOB: Feb 7, 2003 Sex: Male Missing Date: Aug 11, 2010 Race: Biracial Age Now: 9 Height: 3'10" (117 cm) Missing City: NEW YORK Weight: 45 lbs (20 kg) Missing State : NY Hair Color: Black Missing Country: United States Eye Color: Brown Case Number: NCMC1157637 Circumstances: The photos on the left and middle are of Youssef. He was allegedly abducted by his father, Nabil Hassan, on August 11, 2010. A felony warrant for Kidnapping was issued for Nabil on November 22, 2010. They may have traveled to Egypt. Their primary languages are Arabic and English. Youssef is of Hispanic and Egyptian descent. He has a birthmark on his left leg and he may use the alias name John Anthony De La Torre. Nabil has a scar on his left arm and hand and he may use the alias last name Eladawy Maysara.