NATIONAL CENTER FOR MISSING AND EXPLOITED CHILDREN

National Missing Children’s Day is Thursday, a day dedicated to finding that 1% and reuniting them with their families.

A cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children led to the arrest of a Jacksonville man.

A Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office task force arrested a husband and wife linked to the mysterious death of a young girl in central Alabama.

More cases of child pornography are reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children than any other crime against children.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has analyzed more than 18,000 attempted child abductions and discovered some haunting similarities about when, where, what age and the tricks would-be kidnappers use to lure children.

According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, there were 600 attempted abductions in 2020 and those are just the ones that were reported.

It’s hard to believe the little girl this community spent days and weeks looking for turns 18 years old on Tuesday.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Facebook tip to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children alerted authorities to possible enticement and molestation of a minor and led to an arrest, according to police. A Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office arrest report shows Richard Wewer, 58, is facing charges of online solicitation of a minor and unlawful sexual activity with a minor. According to the report, a tip from Facebook last October led to an investigation. Police contacted the victim and showed that person Facebook messages. Cybersecurity expert Chris Hamer said it’s unusual for Facebook to pick up something like this and report it.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Gainesville Police Department said a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children led to the arrest of a man on 12 counts of possession of child pornography. Police said Tennant and his wife maintained a day care out of their home from 1985 to December 2016. The name of the day care was Miss Lynn’s Daycare and later changed to Tennant Family Home Daycare. Police did not indicate if any of the children at the day care were pictured in the images. Police said Tennant’s wife had no knowledge of her husband’s possession of or interest in child exploitation material.

ST. JOHNS, Fla. A 15-year-old girl who was reported missing Monday from Ohio may travel to St. Johns County, according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The organization and the New London Police Department in Ohio asked to help finding Katiya Hunt, who disappeared earlier in the day. Investigators said she may be in a 2014 black Chevy Cruz with Ohio license plate HBJ2183. She weighs 110 pounds, has brown hair and brown eyes. If seen, investigators ask you to call the New London Police Department at 1-419-929-3504, or the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST.

In fact, data shows that missing white children receive far more media coverage than missing black and brown children, despite higher rates of missing children among communities of color. About 37 percent of those children are black, even though black children only make up about 14 percent of all children in the United States. Based on other reports, about 20 percent of missing children are Hispanic or Latino, according to Robert Lowery, vice president of the missing child division at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). They don't get as much media coverageNews media organizations have often been criticized for not giving missing black children the amount of attention they give missing white kids. The Black and Missing Foundation helps families of color file police reports, create missing posters and spread the word about missing children.