The working group has found the children – some of whom are potential victims of human trafficking – three times by the state.
The recovered children’s situations vary widely, said Shelly Smitherman, assistant chief of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI). abuse or exploitation. “
A “number of arrests” were made during the operation called “Operation Volunteer Strong,” said US Marshal of the Western District of Tennessee, Tyreece Miller, without going into detail on the number of people arrested.
Denny King, the US Marshal for Tennessee’s Middle District, said he couldn’t imagine being a parent and having a missing child.
“We can’t give up,” said King. “We need the public, we need the media, we need our law enforcement partners and the other children’s departments not to give up on these kids.
“We don’t know what damage was done, but we know that those we repaired during this operation are in a safe environment today.”
King noted that a child in his district had been missing for 460 days and was located after a tip to local police.
Four children were potential victims of human trafficking, says TBI in its press release. One fifth was identified as “a victim of human trafficking, which resulted in an ongoing investigation by a local Mississippi law enforcement agency and the FBI.”
Smitherman explained that in the fall, TBI analysts compiled intelligence files of 240 children they were hopeful could be found.
She said the TBI, the US Marshals and the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services (DCS) tracked down leads and sent teams in January for surge operations in each of Tennessee’s three counties. Eight children have been found in other states. The operations began on January 4 and ended on February 26, the TBI said in its press release.
Of the 150 children, 93 were DCS children, most of whom were girls, DCS Commissioner Jennifer Nichols said.
“The sheer number, 150, is commendable, but even more exciting is that the reality behind each of those 150 songs is a child or young person whose life and future could change forever,” Nichols said. “The work is transformational. We cannot 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 will also provide support such as counseling services to the other children.
Efforts to find the remaining 90 missing children are underway, officials said.