Teacher who faces life for ‘kidnapping’ autistic girl, 5, says she way only trying to walk the ‘upset’ child home

A TEACHER who could be jailed for life for allegedly kidnapping a five-year-old autistic girl claims she was just walking the child home.

Amy Martz, of Salt Lake City, Utah, was charged with child kidnapping on Monday.

If convicted, the 49-year-old could potentially be sentenced to 15 years to life in prison, reported .

The educator insists that she was simply trying to help a "clearly distraught" child find her way home.

"I did not kidnap a child," Martz insisted.

"I followed a clearly distraught child as she left school grounds. I felt she was not safe traveling alone."

The girl's mum went to the school to report that her daughter, who is autistic and non-verbal, never made it home on September 4, police said.

Shortly after, Martz called to say the child was with her, according to police documents.

Martz told authorities last Thursday that she left Fox Hollow Elementary School with the little girl because the child was "sobbing uncontrollably" and needed help.

She said saw the girl outside her classroom and asked if she belonged at the bus stop or parent pick-up location before walking half a mile away from the school.

Prosecutors alleged that CCTV footage shows Martz and the girl walking hand-in-hand off of school grounds, bypassing a teacher on bus duty.

When Martz and the girl returned to the school, she tried to explain the situation to the girl's parents, who only speak Spanish.

The educator of 24 years believes the language barrier contributed to the mix-up.

She pleaded with prosecutors to drop the charges against her, stressing that she never intended to kidnap the child and that she was "acting out of compassion."

"My whole life has been about serving and helping children," she told KTSU.

"I'm a rule follower, I stay safely on the side of policy and law."