JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Twenty-three missing children were recovered over three days thanks to a coalition of local, state and federal agencies joining forces in Northeast Florida for the first time.
The National Child Protection Task Force (NCPTF) spearheaded the collaborative effort to tackle the critical issue of missing and endangered children, focusing on those vulnerable to human trafficking and sexual exploitation.
The task force announced the results of the first-ever Northeast Florida Missing Child Rescue Operation that served six counties.
The children rescued in the first coordinated deployment of its kind to the state of Florida were brought to safety and matched with resources to foster long-term stability.
The initiative was supported by the Tim Tebow Foundation and hosted at Operation Light Shine’s INTERCEPT Task Force office.
The Child Crime and Safety Center reports that nearly half a million online predators are active online each day. And according to the FBI, over 50 % of the victims of online sexual exploitation are between the ages of 12 and 15.
Organizations like the NCPTF have adapted their approach to combat this with the latest technology and resources.
The NCPTF operates around the clock—24/7/365—serving on a national scale. Since September 2024, the task force has successfully located 118 missing children in New York State through similar operations, and now it has brought its expertise to this region.
According to the organization’s website, in 2024, the task force located 172 missing children, identified 44 suspects, worked on 197 cases and trained over 5,000 law enforcement personnel.
