May | June 2017

Justice Department Observes National Missing Children’s Day

U.S. Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein addresses attendees at the 2017 National Missing Children's Day ceremony.“Please be aware of your surroundings. Pay attention. If something doesn’t look right, ask questions. . . . The three of us were locked in that house . . . for nearly a decade. We were hidden in plain sight,” said Georgina DeJesus, emphasizing the importance of vigilance on the part of ordinary citizens. “Don’t assume anything. You could help another child, another family, [to] have a happy ending.”

Ms. DeJesus, one of three young women who were rescued in 2013 in Cleveland, OH, after being abducted and held captive for 9 years, shared her story of survival at the Department of Justice’s (DOJ's) 2017 commemoration of National Missing Children's Day.

U.S. Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein addresses attendees at the 2017 National Missing Children's Day ceremony.

The annual ceremony, organized by OJJDP, honors missing children and recognizes extraordinary efforts made by law enforcement personnel and private citizens to protect children from harm. This year's ceremony took place on May 24, 2017, in Washington, DC. Guests included federal and law enforcement officials, families and friends of missing children, child advocates, and others who support programs to recover missing and exploited children.

 

“The people we recognize today remind us of our responsibility to protect all children from harm,” said Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein. “Their actions epitomize the values of courage, selflessness, and determination. The Department of Justice is proud to honor their inspirational achievements, and I am proud to stand with them.”

The awards and recipients are as follows:

Attorney General’s Special Commendation Award: The Alabama and Georgia Internet Crimes Against Children task forces launched a coordinated investigation into individuals suspected of possessing and distributing child pornography. The investigation spanned more than 70 law enforcement agencies across two states and resulted in 54 search warrants, 29 arrests, and the seizure of 731 digital devices as evidence.

Missing Children’s Law Enforcement Award:
Special Agent Kathryn Gamble of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, Nogales, AZ, initiated a global investigation targeting those who use the online chat service Kik to sexually exploit minors. Her efforts led to the execution of nearly 60 search and arrest warrants, the identification of 30 child victims, the rescue of 22 child victims from ongoing sexual abuse, and the prosecution of 5 individuals to date.

Missing Children’s Child Protection Award:
Forensic Detective Eric Kjorness of the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children task force, Moscow, ID, assisted in the investigation of 15 cases of possession or distribution of child pornography in 2016. Those cases resulted in the examination of 40 electronic devices and the recovery of more than 1 million child pornography images and videos. Detective Kjorness also provides presentations to educate the public about child enticement via the Internet and online chat rooms.

2017 winning poster submitted by Audrey Link, a fifth-grader from Lakeland, FL.
2017 winning poster submitted by Audrey Link, a fifth grader from Lakeland, FL.

Missing Children’s Citizen Award: Springfield, MO, bus driver T.J. Davis’ actions led to the recovery of a 13-year-old girl with autism who was reported missing in December 2016. While driving his route, Davis noticed a girl fitting the police description sitting in the lap of a man in a wheelchair. The man approached Davis’ bus, told him the girl needed help, and left her with Davis. He then proceeded down the sidewalk. Recognizing him as a regular bus rider, Davis contacted his dispatcher and later described the man to authorities. Police arrested and charged the man with first-degree child kidnapping and enticement of a child.

 

OJJDP conducts a National Missing Children's Day poster contest as part of the annual commemoration. The winning poster inspires the design theme for the following year. Audrey Link, a fifth grader from Lakeland, FL, accepted the 2017 National Missing Children's Day Art Contest Award.

 

left quoteAs adults, we have a sacred trust to protect our children from those who would exploit or abuse them. No effort is too great to find them when they are taken from us.right quote

—Eileen M. Garry
OJJDP Acting Administrator

Other speakers at the event were Maureen A. Henneberg, Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Operations and Management; Eileen M. Garry, OJJDP Acting Administrator; and John F. Clark, President and CEO of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC).

 

The OJJDP-supported NCMEC serves as an information clearinghouse and resource for families—and the professionals who serve them—to help find missing children, reduce child sexual exploitation, and prevent child victimization.

OJJDP’s longstanding commitment to finding abducted and missing children includes the Office’s administration of the AMBER Alert program. To date, more than 870 children have been rescued specifically because of the program and 40 children have been rescued because of Wireless Emergency Alerts. OJJDP’s commitment to combating the sexual exploitation of children includes funding the Internet Crimes Against Children task forces and the National Judicial Institute on Domestic Child Sex Trafficking.

Resources:

A video recording of the 2017 National Missing Children's Day ceremony is available online.

To access resources for parents of missing and abducted children, visit the OJJDP and NCMEC websites.

For more information about National Missing Children’s Day, the annual awards, and poster contest, visit the OJJDP website.