Acting Associate Attorney General Jesse Panuccio addresses National Missing Children's Day ceremony attendees.The annual National Missing Children's Day ceremony, organized by OJJDP, honors the extraordinary efforts of law enforcement personnel and private citizens to protect children from harm. This year's ceremony took place on May 23, 2018, in Washington, DC. Guests included federal and law enforcement officials, families and friends of missing children, child advocates, and others who support efforts to recover missing and exploited children.
"These extraordinary people displayed ingenuity, resourcefulness, and an especially high order of civic responsibility," said Acting Associate Attorney General Jesse Panuccio. "They exemplify, and magnify, the dedication and professionalism we have come to expect in our law enforcement professionals, and they model what it means to be a good citizen. We pledge to stand with you as you continue your work to achieve a safer, a more just, and a more compassionate nation."
Following are descriptions of the awards presented at the ceremony:
Attorney General's Special Commendation. Acting on a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, the Maryland Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force began an investigation of an individual suspected of producing child pornography. The investigation led to the arrest of a sexual predator who had been abusing children since the 1970s. A search of the suspect’s home resulted in the seizure of more than 20 digital devices as evidence. Investigators identified at least 26 victims, and the suspect was charged with multiple sex offenses, including the abuse of a child.
OJJDP Administrator Caren Harp, Acting Associate Attorney General Jesse Panuccio (middle), and Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Alan R. Hanson (right) were on hand for the Justice Department’s 2018 National Missing Children's Day ceremony.Missing Children's Law Enforcement Award. Detective John Witherspoon of the Montgomery County (Maryland) Police Department in Rockville, MD, was assigned to the case of a 15-year-old girl who had run away from her home in Gaithersburg, MD. His investigation efforts crossed jurisdictions from Montgomery County to northern Virginia, where the teen’s remains were found. Detective Witherspoon worked with local police to track down 10 gang members who played a role in the girl’s murder. In addition, Detective Witherspoon investigated 166 missing children cases in 2017 and successfully located all those children.
Missing Children's Citizen Award. Colin Blevin of Santa Clara, CA, rescued a 1-year-old boy from a man who abducted him during a carjacking. Mr. Blevin was going to work in a town 90 miles away from the abduction, when he confronted the man about the child in the car. The suspect gave the child to Mr. Blevin, who held him until police officers arrived. The child was unharmed and safely returned to his family. Mr. Blevin’s actions led to the capture of the abductor, who is currently serving a 5-year prison sentence.
Missing Children's Child Protection Award. Detective George Higgs of the Charles County Sheriff's Office in La Plata, MD, began investigating a complaint that a high school student filed regarding sexually inappropriate text messages that he received. Detective Higgs' investigation identified a man working for the Charles County Board of Education as the source of the texts. A search of the suspect's home resulted in the seizure of multiple cell phones, computers, and photographs. The electronic devices revealed the suspect sexually and physically assaulting several children. Detective Higgs helped organize a task force that interviewed potential victims and witnesses, ultimately identifying 42 victims between the ages of 13 and 17. The suspect was charged with 219 offenses, including sexual assault and multiple counts of production of child pornography. He was sentenced to 105 years in prison on federal charges and 190 years on state charges.
Fifth-grader Eden Hoffmann of Huron Elementary School in Clinton Township, MI, won this year's National Missing Children's Day poster contest.
OJJDP conducts a National Missing Children's Day poster contest as part of the annual commemoration. Eden Hoffmann, a fifth grader from Huron Elementary School in Clinton Township, MI, was selected as the 2018 poster contest winner. According to Miss Hoffmann, "This poster symbolizes a family that has found their missing child. The heart behind them shows the bond between the family. The colors on the words express hope, joy, and love. The beam of light surrounding the world portrays law enforcement and volunteers working to find missing children."
Other speakers at the event were Alan R. Hanson, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Office of Justice Programs; Caren Harp, OJJDP Administrator; John F. Clark, President and CEO of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), and Russell Barnes, an advocate for families of missing children and founder of the Phylicia Simone Barnes Foundation.
Supported by OJJDP, NCMEC serves as an information clearinghouse and resource for families—and the professionals who serve them—to help find missing children and prevent child sexual exploitation and victimization. OJJDP’s longstanding commitment to finding abducted and missing children includes the Office’s administration of the AMBER Alert program. To date, the program has rescued more than 924 children, and Wireless Emergency Alerts have rescued 53 children.
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:
For more information about National Missing Children’s Day and to watch a recording of the ceremony, visit the OJJDP website.
To access resources for parents of missing and abducted children, visit the OJJDP and NCMEC websites.
Read the Office of Justice Programs' Missing Children's Day blog, "Justice Department Honors Outstanding Actions To Protect Children."