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According to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, one in six children are approached by a human trafficker with the first 48 hours.
Federal law defines a “missing child” as an individual less than 18 years of age whose whereabouts are unknown to the child’s parent or legal guardian. 34 U.S.C. Section 11292
Every Kentuckian can protect children from human trafficking by knowing the signs of a child who is considering running away. If you see these signs, check in with the child, listen calmly, and show support. Be sure to share your concerns with the child’s guardian or caregiver.
Saving money without a goal
Hiding clothes in a backpack
Talking about running away
If your child is missing, act immediately by calling 9-1-1 and having your child entered into the FBI’s National Crime and Information Center (NCIC) database. For additional support, families with missing children may contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678).
Remember, there is no waiting period to report a missing child to law enforcement or to have your child entered into NCIC. In fact, according to 34 U.S.C. Section 41308, law enforcement agencies are prohibited from establishing or maintaining a waiting period before accepting a missing child report and must promptly enter the information regarding a missing child into the NCIC database within two hours of receiving a report.
To learn more about Attorney General Cameron’s efforts to protect missing children from the dangers of human trafficking or to schedule a human trafficking community training event, contact:Heather Wagers, Executive DirectorAttorney General’s Office of Trafficking and Abuse Prevention and Prosecution (TAPP).
Phone: (502) 696-5436ItSavestoKnow@ky.gov
This project was supported, in whole or in part, by federal award number 15JCOPS-22-GG-04538-PPSE awarded to the Kentucky Office of the Attorney General by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Policing Services. The opinions created herein are those of the author(s) or contributor(s) and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. References to specific individuals, agencies, companies, products, or services should not be considered an endorsement by the author(s), contributor(s), or the U.S. Department of Justice. Rather, the references are illustrations to supplement discussion of the issues.The Internet references cited in this publication were valid as of the date of publication. Given that URLs and websites are in constant flux, neither the author(s) nor the COPS Office can vouch for their current validity.