SYRACUSE - An accused serial kidnapper allowed police to close three unsolved abductions by admitting Monday to kidnapping three young girls, including a 5-year-old whose rescue drew national attention.

Kevin Schaus, 32, of Syracuse also pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a fourth young girl. In exchange for his guilty pleas, Schaus will receive a state prison term of 20 years to life when he is sentenced June 27.

Schaus cried quietly as he answered "guilty" four times in a barely audible voice.

"He's extremely remorseful. He wanted to avoid a trial so he could spare the victims. He said they'd had already been through enough because of him," defense attorney Rory McMahon said.

Schaus could have faced up to 57 years in prison, but prosecutors agreed to leniency because of his cooperation with investigators, said First Chief Assistant District Attorney Rick Trunfio, who told Onondaga County Judge Joseph Fahey Schaus provided information, directed police to evidence and identified an accomplice in one of the abductions.

"He's not a hero by any means, but his willingness to give us information was really the key to solving these three cases," Trunfio said outside the courtroom. "I don't know why he wanted to come clean."

Schaus pleaded guilty to first-degree kidnapping in the most high profile case - the April 2004 abduction of then-5-year-old Brittany Fish.

Brittany, now 7, was snatched off a Syracuse street as she was riding her scooter to a friend's house two blocks away. She was found alive by chance 20 hours later at an abandoned warehouse in suburban DeWitt when a passer-by heard her muffled cries and discovered her under a tarp, bound in duct tape.

Brittany's ordeal inspired her aunt, Linda Slifka, to write a children's book, "Where's My Puppy?" to teach children about the importance of playing safely.

In May, Fish was honored by members of Congress and law-enforcement officials from around the country and given the National Courage Award from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at a ceremony held in Washington, D.C.

Syracuse police charged Schaus, based partly on a description Brittany provided police after her rescue.

Police first picked up Schaus in April for questioning after he was accused of molesting a 4-year-old girl while her mother was in the hospital having a baby in March. Police said Schaus had been a friend of the parents for about 15 years.

While in custody, Schaus confessed to the Fish kidnapping, and then told police he had been involved in two other abductions.

On Monday, he admitted he and another man abducted a 16-year-old girl off a Syracuse street in March 2003 and that he kidnapped 14-year-old girl from a Syracuse park in September 2003.

Before letting Schaus plead, Fahey asked each of the victims' families if the deal was acceptable. Three of the families were in court and said it was.

Fahey said he would not have accepted the pleas if the families had disapproved. Afterward, the families hurried from the courthouse without commenting.

Schaus was an unemployed chef at the time of his arrest and had no history of crime or mental illness. McMahon said Schaus has given no indication why he started kidnapping young girls.