Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the rescue of 163 children ranging from 2 months to 17 years old as part of Operation Statewide Shield while speaking at a press conference in Tampa today.
Operation Statewide Shield is the largest child recovery operation in Florida history.
“Many of these kids have been victimized by those who prey on the most vulnerable,” Attorney General James Uthmeier said. “Thanks to the outstanding work of FDLE, the Office of Statewide Prosecution, and our state and local partners, these children are now safe and receiving the care they deserve. Florida will continue leading the recovery of missing children, hunting down every predator, and prosecuting abusers to the fullest extent of the law.”
The operation, lasting over five days, included based operations in Pensacola, Tallahassee, Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa, Fort Myers, and Miami using real-time intelligence and field operations for location and recovery. Forty-six children were recovered by the Tampa region, 41 children by the Miami region, 32 by the Jacksonville region, 21 by the Orlando region, 12 by the Fort Myers region, eight by the Pensacola region, and three by the Tallahassee region over the period.
All the children experienced various levels of abuse, neglect, exploitation, or human trafficking, according to a release.
The investigation was led by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement Tampa along with several other state law enforcement and public agencies, including the Department of Children and Families and Department of Juvenile Justice.
“Operation Statewide Shield demonstrates the power of collaboration and the unwavering commitment shared by all participating agencies and organizations to achieve a singular mission: find our kids and bring them home,” FDLE Commissioner Mark Glass said. “This operation brought together state, local, and federal partners, to safely return home 163 missing children.”
Arrests included a defendant wanted on three counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a minor. Another defendant was wanted for another defendant for lewd and lascivious battery on a victim 12 to 16 years old.
Similar operations also took place in Alabama, California, Ohio, New York, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, and Tennessee.
