Florida authorities say 163 missing children have been recovered in a sweeping five-day operation that brought together state, local and federal law enforcement in what officials are calling one of the largest child-recovery efforts in American history.

Operation Statewide Shield was led by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and marked Florida’s first state-led statewide child-recovery initiative.

The children ranged from just 2 months old to 17 years old.

“This operation brought together state, local, and federal partners, to safely return home 163 missing children,” FDLE Commissioner Mark Glass said.

A Statewide Effort With an International Reach

Although the operation was coordinated in Florida, its reach extended far beyond the state.

Authorities reported 46 recoveries through the Tampa Bay region, 41 through Miami, 32 through Jacksonville, 21 through Orlando, 12 through Fort Myers, eight through Pensacola and three through Tallahassee.

The effort also resulted in children being located or recovered across six additional states, Puerto Rico and 12 foreign countries.

Those countries included Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Dominica, Finland, Ghana, Guatemala, Italy, Jamaica, Mexico, Spain and Taiwan.

Florida officials described the effort as the largest operation of its kind in state history.

Not Every Child Was a Trafficking Victim

The circumstances surrounding the missing children varied considerably, an important distinction as details of the operation continue to emerge.

Officials said some children were runaways, while others had been abandoned, neglected or abused. Some were victims of trafficking.

FDLE said many of the recovered children had experienced some level of abuse, neglect, exploitation or exposure to other criminal activity.

The operation therefore was not the takedown of a single trafficking organization, nor does the recovery of 163 children mean all 163 were kidnapping or human-trafficking victims.

Instead, investigators simultaneously targeted numerous missing-child cases involving vulnerable young people across Florida and beyond.

Children Taken Directly to Support Services

Finding the children was only one part of the operation.

Recovered children requiring assistance were transported by local law enforcement to designated recovery hubs where medical providers, victim advocates, social-service workers and child-welfare professionals were available.

The Florida Department of Children and Families and Department of Juvenile Justice handled custody transfers when necessary.

Some children were ultimately reunited with their families, while others entered foster care.

Information from each recovery was also documented through Florida’s Missing Endangered Persons Information Clearinghouse so the corresponding missing-person cases could be properly closed.

Arrests and Investigations Follow

The operation has also produced criminal cases.

Three men have been identified in reporting as arrested in connection with investigations arising from the operation: Michael Prescott, Robert Ferral Allison and Jayden Allen Harwood.

Prescott was arrested by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and faces allegations including lewd and lascivious acts involving a minor, felony battery and aggravated assault.

Allison was arrested by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and accused of lewd and lascivious battery involving a victim between 12 and 16 years old.

Harwood was reportedly arrested on allegations involving interference with child custody and resisting officers without violence.

The charges are allegations, and the defendants are entitled to the presumption of innocence unless proven guilty in court.

FDLE says the Office of Statewide Prosecution and Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office are handling three felony cases generated by the operation. Additional law-enforcement investigations remain active.

Florida Agencies Joined by Local Law Enforcement

Operation Statewide Shield was developed using lessons from previous child-recovery initiatives conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service.

FDLE led the operation with assistance from the Office of Statewide Prosecution, Florida Department of Children and Families, Florida Department of Juvenile Justice and numerous other organizations.

Thirteen Florida sheriff’s offices also provided critical assistance, along with municipal police departments and federal partners.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier praised the agencies involved while promising that investigations into those responsible for victimizing children would continue.

“Many of these kids have been victimized by those who prey on the most vulnerable,” Uthmeier said.

For 163 children and their families, however, the most important result is considerably simpler: they were found.

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