PAXTON - The Paxton man who gained national attention when took his daughters to Belize without his ex-wife's permission was convicted Friday of child abduction.

Michael Hari, 35, was charged with abducting his daughters for nearly 11 months last year and interfering with the visitation rights of his ex-wife, Michelle Frakes, 33, of Peoria. Hari had said he took the children to a religious colony in Central America because of a dispute with his ex-wife over custody and personal beliefs.

"Michael Hari took the law into his own hands," Ford County State's Attorney Tony Lee said. "No person, regardless of their cultural or religious beliefs, is above the law."

The verdict came after about 90 minutes of deliberation by the jury of eight men and four women.

The case gained attention when the nationally syndicated talk show host Dr. Phil McGraw offered to hire a private investigator to find the girls. His show then aired a three-part series this spring that chronicled the trio's disappearance and ultimate discovery at a Mennonite colony in Belize.

Ford County Circuit Judge Steve ruled before Friday's testimony began that a videotaped segment of an interview between Hari and McGraw could be shown. However, the prosecution later decided not to use the tape.

Before the jury was brought in, Pacey reminded both attorneys that he would not allow the proceedings to become a "circus" and that his courtroom "is not the Dr. Phil show."

Harold Copus, a private investigator with Investigative Solutions Inc. of Atlanta, Ga., began Friday's testimony. Copus was subpoenaed by the prosecution to describe his search for Hari and his two daughters after being hired by McGraw's producers.

Copus said he was able to locate Hari by convincing Peter Hoover, a member of a Hutterite religious colony near Elmendorf, Minn., to cooperate with the investigation. Copus testified that Hoover said he advised Hari that his best option was "to run and to take the girls with him."

The trail eventually led Copus to find Hari and his daughters at the Mennonite colony of Pine Hill in Belize. He negotiated with colony elders for Hari and his daughters to return to the United States, a process he said was made difficult by the fact that the trio crossed into Belize illegally via canoe.

Hari took the stand to testify on his own behalf. He was the only witness called by the defense.

Hari testified that he felt it necessary to take the actions he did because of continuing conflict about custody and differences in cultural and religious beliefs with his ex-wife.

The prosecution's case centered on the fact that Hari did not comply with an April 6 emergency order by Pacey granting temporary custody to Frakes

The defense argued that Hari, who had custody of his daughters since 2001, left on April 1, so he was not aware of the contents of the April 6 order.