The National Child Protection Task Force completed a confidential, multi-agency Missing Child Rescue Operation this past week to locate endangered missing youth across Lee, Collier and Hendry counties.
Working from a centralized command center in Estero, the task force's operation brought together local, state and federal law enforcement agencies alongside child protection professionals, nonprofit organizations and technology partners to review cases, pursue new leads and help locate endangered missing children at risk of exploitation and harm.
This regional effort resulted in 21 rescues across Lee, Collier and Hendry counties.
This marks the task force's first coordinated deployment in Southwest Florida and its second deployment in Florida. The first in Northeast Florida resulted in the location of 29 endangered missing children. Missing Child Rescue Operations focus on providing critical resources to prevent vulnerable youth from becoming victims of human trafficking, sexual exploitation and further harm.
Because many missing children are vulnerable to trafficking and exploitation, the operation also connected recovered youth directly with local advocacy organizations and support services focused on safety, stability and care after recovery. These partnerships help strengthen the community response surrounding vulnerable children long after the operation concludes.
“Every child deserves to be found, heard and supported,” said Al Rollins, director of law enforcement partnerships for the National Child Protection Task Force. “This operation brought together law enforcement, advocates and technology partners from across the region to help locate vulnerable children and strengthen what happens next for them after recovery.”
This rescue mission is supported by the Tim Tebow Foundation and The Jensen Project and is made possible in partnership with Operation Light Shine and its INTERCEPT Task Force, which has regional presence through the Collier County Sheriff’s Office. The task force has now helped locate more than 218 endangered missing children through coordinated Missing Child Rescue Operations nationwide.
“Each of these youth have a different background, but they all share one thing: vulnerability. Youth who are missing, have run away or are involved in an unstable or unsupportive living situation are at a higher risk for trafficking,” said Katherine Gomez, PhD, director of human trafficking intervention for the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice. “When a child must rely on others for their basic needs to be met, they can be exploited in devastating ways by those that mean them harm. That is why operations like this are so important – they create an opportunity to intervene and to provide support to prevent further harm. Where there’s life, there’s hope.”
Dozens of partners joined the task force including: Cape Coral Police Department; Collier County Sheriff’s Office; Florida Department of Law Enforcement; Florida Department of Juvenile Justice; Florida Highway Patrol; Fort Myers Police Department; Hendry County Sheriff’s Office; Indiana State Police; Lee County Port Authority Police Department; Lee County Sheriff’s Office; Marco Island Police Department; Naples Police Department; Northeast and Southwest Florida INTERCEPT Task Force; Office of the State Attorney 20th Judicial Circuit; and Springdale Police Department (Arkansas).
Community-based organizations, hospitals and victim assistance programs assisting included A.N.A.’s Friends; Beverly’s Angels; Block, Inc.; Catholic Charities Diocese of Venice; Children’s Advocacy Center of Southwest Florida; Children’s Network of Southwest Florida; Collier Children’s Advocacy Center; Collier County Children’s Protection Team; CPE Mental Health Services; Florida Department of Children and Families; Golisano Children’s Hospital; Greater Hope Church; Lutheran Services Florida; My Name My Voice; Oasis Youth Shelter; One More Child; and Youth Haven.
Federal, national and private partners: BRIGHT, Federal Bureau of Investigations, Homeland Security Investigations, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children; PRR Group, and United States Marshal Service.
Local nonprofit partners A.N.A.’s Friends and Beverly’s Angels provided essential support for children and families impacted by the operation. Together, they helped ensure that vulnerable youth had access to clothing, hygiene supplies, comfort items and other critical resources designed to meet immediate needs and support stability after recovery.
Verizon Frontline enabling the establishment of a secure Wi-Fi network for the operation’s command center, providing mission-critical communications capabilities. Verizon Frontline also sponsors Missing Child Rescue Operations nationwide, supporting NCPTF’s ability to deliver coordinated, technology-driven assistance to law enforcement agencies.
NCPTF’s private-sector partners including Meta, Snap Inc., TikTok, Google, Block, Inc., and Verizon, expedited critical support requests to help law enforcement locate endangered children urgently.
About the National Child Protection Task Force
The National Child Protection Task Force (NCPTF) is a nonprofit organization focused on creating better outcomes for missing, exploited and trafficked children. By bringing together experienced investigators, analysts and private-sector partners, NCPTF provides intelligence, advanced technology and coordinated investigative support to help law enforcement locate endangered children.
NCPTF’s work doesn’t stop when a child is located. The organization helps agencies understand why a child ran, identify patterns of risk and strengthen coordination so vulnerable children have better opportunities for stability and safety.
For more information, visit ncptf.org.
