NATIONAL MISSING CHILDREN’S DAY IS MAY 25

What Parents Can Do to Keep Children Safe

ALEXANDRIA, VA - May 19, 2008. Every year in America an estimated 800,000 children are reported missing, more than 2,000 children each day. Of that number, 200,000 are abducted by family members, and 58,000 are abducted by non-family members. The primary motive for non-family abductions is sexual. Each year 115 children are the victims of the most serious abductions, taken by non-family members and either murdered, held for ransom, or taken with the intent to keep.

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) wants to remind the public that National Missing Children’s Day is May 25, which coincides with the three-day Memorial Day holiday weekend this year. The organization wants parents to know there are things they can do to keep their children safe and it urges parents to take 25 minutes and review the attached safety tips which are a part of NCMEC’s Take 25 national child safety campaign.

“We know teaching children about safety works,” said Ernie Allen, president and CEO of NCMEC. “It is important that parents take the time to talk to their children about safety.”

An analysis of attempted abduction cases by NCMEC found that in 88% of the cases, the child escaped would-be abductors through their own actions, by yelling, kicking, pulling away, running away or attracting attention.

May 25th is the anniversary of the day in 1979 when 6-year-old Etan Patz disappeared from a New York street corner on his way to school and has been observed as National Missing Children’s Day since 1983 when it was first proclaimed by President Ronald Reagan. Etan’s story captivated the nation. His photo, taken by his father, a professional photographer was circulated nationwide and appeared in media across the country and around the world. The powerful image of Etan has come to symbolize the anguish and trauma of thousands of searching families. The search for Etan continues. He is still missing.

Next year will be the 25th anniversary of the creation of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. It is the leading nonprofit organization dealing with the issues of missing and exploited children. Since the organization was created, the recovery rate of missing children has increased from 62% in 1990 to 96% today. In 2007, NCMEC assisted law enforcement in the recovery of more missing children than in any other year in the organization’s 24 year history.

About the National Center for Missing & Exploited ChildrenThe National Center for Missing & Exploited Children is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Since it was established by Congress in 1984, the organization has operated the toll-free 24-hour national missing children’s hotline which has handled more than 2.2 million calls. It has assisted law enforcement in the recovery of more than 126,000 children. The organization’s CyberTipline has handled more than 588,000 reports of child sexual exploitation and its Child Victim Identification Program has reviewed and analyzed more than 13,902,500 child pornography images and videos. The organization works in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Justice’s office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

To learn more about NCMEC, call its toll-free, 24-hour hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST or visit its web site at www.missingkids.com

LAW ENFORCEMENT FROM 10 CITIES HONORED

FOR WORK INVOLVING MISSING AND SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children Recognizes Extraordinary Efforts as a Part of National Missing Children’s Day

WASHINGTON – Fifteen law enforcement officials from throughout the U.S. were honored today by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) for their extraordinary efforts to recover missing children and resolve child sexual exploitation cases.

The honorees were recognized at the 13th Annual Congressional Breakfast on Capitol Hill each year to call attention to National Missing Children’s Day, which is observed on May 25. The event is attended by members of Congress, as well as federal, state and local officials. The breakfast is hosted by NCMEC, in partnership with the Fraternal Order of Police and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

Others attending the event included: actor Bryan Cranston, who plays teacher Walter H. White in the new AMC series “Breaking Bad” and recently played Hal on the award-winning FOX sitcom “Malcolm in the Middle;” John Walsh, host of the FOX television show “America’s Most Wanted” and his wife and NCMEC co-founder Revé Walsh.

Each year in America, an estimated 800,000 children are reported missing, more than 2,000 each day. “We set aside one day each year to recognize exceptional law enforcement officers who have distinguished themselves by going the extra mile to rescue children and to capture and prosecute criminals who seek to exploit them,” said NCMEC President and CEO Ernie Allen. “Our greatest priority as a society is to protect the innocence of our children. The men and women honored today share that goal and have made a real difference.”

2008 National Missing Children’s Award Recipients: Conn. - Detective Eric Kovanda of the Police Department in Bloomfield was recognized for recovering 14-year-old Danielle Cramer, who vanished in June 2006. Nearly a year after her disappearance, Detective Kovanda discovered Danielle hidden inside a locked cupboard under a stairwell.

Calif. - Investigator Keith Prewitt of the Kings County District Attorney’s Office in Hanford, was honored for recovering one-year-old Dylan Pike-Alcantara, who was abducted by his biological father from Peru in 2005. The mother returned home with Dylan in September 2007.

Iowa - Postal Inspector Troy Raper of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Detective Charity Hansel of the police department in Cedar Rapids were recognized in connection with the arrest of child pornographer James Bentley, who had victimized a preschooler and her infant sister.

Del. - Detective Ronald Garland of the Delaware State Police in Dover was recognized for the apprehension of Paul Thielemann, who coordinated an online child pornography ring that was sexually abusing children ranging in age from 1½ to 17-years-old. Ten defendants were arrested and prosecuted.

Fla./N.C. - Special Agents James Lewis and Alexis Carpinteri of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in North Miami Beach and Special Agent Christopher Haas of the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation in Hickory were recognized for rescuing a dozen children from an online child pornography ring. The ring was abusing children as young as five years of age and webcasting the abuse live.

Wash. - Immigrations and Customs Enforcement Group Supervisor Brian Bujdoso of Seattle was recognized for pioneering investigative work in photo sharing networks which resulted in 38 arrests. Among those arrested was a Kentucky man who was molesting his five-year-old nieces and recording the abuse to post online.

2008 NCMEC Law Enforcement Excellence Award Recipients:

Colo. -Detectives Todd Fredericksen, Randy Hansen and Shannon Youngquist-Lucy with the police department in Aurora were honored for their work in the case of six-year-old Aaroné Thompson, who was reported missing in November 2005. Her father is charged with her murder.

Wash. - U.S. Immigrations & Customs Enforcement Special Agent Lisa Vlad of Seattle, Detective Joe Marsh of the Benton County Sheriff’s Office in Kennewick, and Deputy US Marshal Jeff Marty of Richland, arrested Kenneth Freeman, the producer of some of the most frequently downloaded child pornography in the world. The international manhunt across two continents.

About the National Center for Missing & Exploited ChildrenNCMEC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that works in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. NCMEC's congressionally mandated CyberTipline, a reporting mechanism for child sexual exploitation, has handled more than 576,000 leads. Since its establishment in 1984, NCMEC has assisted law enforcement with more than 141,200 missing child cases, resulting in the recovery of more than 125,000 children. For more information about NCMEC, call its toll-free hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST or visit www.missingkids.com.