The task force recovered the children, some of whom are potential victims of human trafficking, in three respects by the state.
The situation of the children who recovered is very different, said Shelly Smitherman, assistant special agent of the TBI, assistant, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI). It ranges from children who have left home during difficult situations, some found with unsupervised family members, to children who are “abused or exploited.”
A “number of arrests” were made during the operation, called “Operation Volunteer Strong,” said U.S. Tennessee Marshal Tyreece Miller without going into detail about how many people were arrested.
Denny King, the U.S. Marshal for Tennessee’s Central District, said he could not think he was a parent and had a missing child,
“We can not give up,” King said. ‘We need the public, we need the media, we need our law enforcement partners and the other child services departments not to give up on these children.
“We do not know what damage may have been done, but we do know that the damage we recovered during this operation is in a safe environment today.”
King noted that one child in his district was missing 460 days and was found after a tip to local law enforcement.
Four children were potential victims of human trafficking, TBI said in its news release. A fifth has been identified as a victim of human trafficking, which has led to an ongoing investigation by a local law enforcement agency and FBI in Mississippi. “
Smitherman explained that in the fall, TBI analysts compiled intelligence files on 240 children they could find hopeful.
She said the TBI, US Marshals and Tennessee Department of Children’s Services (DCS) tracked down clues and in January sent teams for training operations in each of the three districts in Tennessee. Eight children were found in other states. The operations began on January 4 and ended on February 26, the TBI said in its news release.
Of the 150 children, 93 were DCS children, most of whom were girls, said Jennifer Nichols, commissioner of the DCS.
“The sheer number, 150, is commendable, but even more exciting is that the reality behind each of the 150 numbers is a child or youth whose life and future can change forever,” Nichols said. “The work is transformative. We can not stop, and there is nothing worthwhile anymore.”
Children who were in the DCS system before they went missing will return to the care of the agency, which also provides support such as counseling services to the other children.
The remaining 90 missing children are continuing to be found, officials said.