The parents blamed their actions on drug abuse and will enter drug court.
GREEN BROOK -- Expressing remorse and blaming their actions on drug abuse, the Neptune City couple who admitted abducting their 8-year-old son were sentenced Friday to five years probation under drug court monitoring.
Michael and Amy Streko, who both pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree interference with the custody of a minor child, were sentenced separately by Superior Court Judge Bruce A. Jones in Somerset County.
Both were immediately released from the Somerset County Jail and must report to their probation officers on Monday at 9 a.m.
"I apologize for what happened," Michael Streko told the judge. "We weren't thinking with clear heads at the time. We have spoken with DYFS (the New Jersey Department of Child Protection and Child Services) and will abide by whatever they say. We just want to see our son."
The parents haven't seen their son in more than four months.
On July 17, the couple violated a court order by taking their son from his grandmother's Green Brook home, authorities have said. They were discovered a week later in New York state and the boy was returned to the grandmother unharmed, authorities have said.
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"I don't think my client and his wife intended any harm to their son," said public defender Anthony Mignella, who represented Michael Streko. "They were misguided in what they did. Mutual drug abuse were factors. That's what led to the court taking custody of their son. The whole idea now is to put the family back together."
Under drug court monitoring, they'll be required to submit to testing once a week, report to their probation officer once a week, maintain regular employment and enter an outpatient drug program. They will also be subjected to random drug tests.
If they don't comply with those provisions, they would return to the court system and possibly face trial.
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Michael and Amy Streko lost custody of their son in a July 7 Family Court ruling in Monmouth County because of their drug abuse, Mignella said.
Amy Streko's contact was to be supervised by the grandmother, authorities have said.
On July 17 at around 6 a.m., the grandmother discovered that Amy Streko and her son had disappeared from her Green Brook home, authorities have said.
A week later, the Port Jervis City police received a report of a suspicious male walking in the area of Ball Street and Pennsylvania Avenue asking children for drugs, authorities said.
Responding officers located Michael and Amy Streko, interviewed them and learned they were wanted on custodial interference charges in New Jersey, authorities said.
Dave Hutchinson may be reached at dhutchinson@njadvancemedia.com.Follow him on Twitter @DHutch_SL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.