The U.S. Department of Justice commemorated National Missing Children's Day on May 21, 2014, at the department’s Great Hall in Washington, DC. Associate Attorney General Tony West, National Center for Missing & Exploited Children President and CEO John Ryan, and advocate for victims of human trafficking Holly Austin Smith offered remarks at the event. OJJDP Administrator Robert L. Listenbee served as master of ceremonies.

“Any child who is being trafficked or otherwise exploited deserves love and compassion—whether that exploitation happens in a big city or suburb or in a back alley or a private mansion,” said Ms. Smith. “Whether that child is poor or rich, street-smart or book-smart, homeless or from a middle class home—that child deserves victim-centered, trauma-informed services from both law enforcement and service providers, as well as compassion and understanding from the community.”

At the ceremony, Associate Attorney General West and Administrator Listenbee honored the heroic efforts of law enforcement personnel and citizens to protect children from harm. They recognized the following awardees for their extraordinary efforts to recover missing children, rescue children from abuse, and prosecute sexual predators:

• Attorney General’s Special Commendation: Recognizes an Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force or affiliate agency for making significant investigative or program contributions.

Recipient: Detective Kevin P. Murphy, Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office, Moncks Corner, SC, for his efforts to expand South Carolina’s ICAC task force’s ability to investigate technology crimes throughout the state and to train other agents and law enforcement agencies in computer investigations.

The work of these honorees . . . is exceptional. It takes very special people to perform such difficult—and in many cases heart-wrenching and life-changing—duties.


—Associate Attorney General Tony West

• Missing Children’s Law Enforcement Award: Recognizes a law enforcement officer who made a significant investigative or program contribution to the safety of children.

Recipient: Detective Robert Erdely, Office of the District Attorney, Indiana, PA, for training hundreds of officers across the country and around the world in computer investigations and for his many investigations into online pornography during his career.

• OJJDP Administrator Missing Children’s Citizen Award: Honors private citizens for their unselfish acts to safely recover missing or abducted children.

Recipients: Mark and Christa John and Michael and Mary Young, Sweet, ID, for acting on their concern and providing information to law enforcement that led to the safe return of an abducted 16-year-old.

• Missing Children’s Child Protection Award: Honors a law enforcement officer who made a significant investigative or program contribution to protect children from abuse or victimization.

Recipient: Inspector Brian Bone, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Washington, DC, for his role in expanding the investigation of an international child pornography ring and for organizing support for more than 100 children whom the group had sexually abused.

Since 2000, OJJDP has hosted a national poster contest for fifth graders to raise awareness about missing children. This year, Dawson Mack, a fifth grader from Athens Intermediate School in Athens, AL, received the Missing Children’s Day Art Contest Award.

The ceremony was preceded by and concluded with performances by the Tuckahoe Elementary School Fourth Grade Chorus of Arlington, VA.

President Reagan proclaimed the first National Missing Children's Day in May 1983. Since then, family members, friends, public agencies, and private organizations have gathered throughout the country to rededicate their determination to find the nation's missing children, celebrate heartwarming stories of recovery, and honor those who can only be present in their hearts and memories.

Resources:

To access resources for parents of missing and abducted children, go to OJJDP’s Web site. Also read the "Take 25" page on the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children's Web site, which encourages parents, guardians, educators, and others to take 25 minutes to talk to children about safety. Information about the Office of Justice Programs' AMBER Alert Program is also available online. In recognition of National Missing Children's Day, the Office of Justice Programs' National Criminal Justice Reference Service has created a special feature, Missing Kids, which provides critical AMBER Alert information as well as access to resources for families and law enforcement.