The father of missing Madeleine McCann was yesterday forced to defend his decision to leave his daughter alone on the night she was snatched.

Gerry McCann was grilled by American TV networks about why he and his wife Kate did not hire a babysitter to watch their three children as they dined with friends.

Gerry, 39, is in the States on a fact-finding mission to see how they deal with the issue of child abduction and exploitation - as well as publicise Madeleine's case.

Madeliene was abducted 83 days ago as she slept in her bed at the Ocean Club resort in Praia da Luz, Portugal. Yesterday her father conducted a string of TV interviews with ABC, CNN and CBS.

Speaking on ABC's Good Morning America, the heart consultant said: "We were dining 50 yards away and we could see the apartment from where we were. It's like we were sat in our back garden, all be it at the end of our garden.

"The kids were sound asleep and they were being checked regularly. We didn't think we needed a babysitter. "We are good parents and what we did felt perfectly reasonable at the time.

"Hindsight is an incredible thing. Clearly we couldn't have predicted what was to happen."

He was also quizzed about the possibility he and GP Kate, also 39, could be prosecuted for leaving

Madeleine McCann has been missing since May 3

Madeleine and two year old twins Sean and Amelie alone in the apartment that night.

He told CNN: "We have been assured by the authorities that what we did fell well within the boundaries of good parenting.

"Madeleine was targeted by a predator and we shouldn't have to be worrying about people getting into our homes and gardens and playgrounds. That is the real criminal act here."

Gerry visited the White House on Tuesday to meet with senior staff of First Lady Laura Bush.

Mrs Bush has taken a personal interest in Madeleine's case but was unable to meet Gerry because of prior commitments.

Gerru has already met US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales in Washington to discuss efforts to tackle child abduction.

He also met experts from the National and International Centres for Missing and Exploited Children.

He said: "Obviously my focus just now is on trying to get our daughter back. That's the key thing.

"But I think there is a lot of goodwill out there at the minute, that we might be able to leave something tangible for all children, and I think most people agree that these sorts of crimes should not happen and the perpetrators have to be pursued wherever these crimes are performed."

Mr McCann is on four-day fact-finding visit to the US to find out about America's "more advanced systems" to track down missing children.

"She knows very much that we love her and we won't stop searching for her."

Gerry McCann has taken his search for Madeleine from US daytime TV all the way to the White House.

He is said to be convinced that the high-profile campaign to find his daughter Madeleine could also help other missing children

The 39-year-old heart specialist is in America on his global crusade publicising the four-year-old's disappearance from a holiday apartment in Portugal at the beginning of May.

He has already met US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales in Washington to discuss efforts to tackle child abduction

He also met experts from the National and International Centres for Missing and Exploited Children.

"Obviously my focus just now is on trying to get our daughter back. That's the key thing.

"But I think there is a lot of goodwill out there at the minute, that we might be able to leave something tangible for all children, and I think most people agree that these sorts of crimes should not happen and the perpetrators have to be pursued wherever these crimes are performed."

Mr McCann is on four-day fact-finding visit to the US to find out about America's "more advanced systems" to track down missing children.

He and his wife, Kate, have mounted a vigorous campaign to find Madeleine since she disappeared from the apartment in the holiday resort of Praia da Luz.

"She knows very much that we love her and we won't stop searching for her."

Madeleine McCann has been missing since May 3.

The National and International Centres for Missing and Exploited Children were established in 1984 and 1998 respectively after six-year-old Adam Walsh was murdered after being snatched from a department store in Florida in 1981.

The case led to a major review of child abduction cases in the US and legislation passed last year - the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act - was named in his honour.

The Act significantly strengthens America's nationwide sex offender registration system and introduces harsher penalties for child sex offenders.