TALLAHASSEE, FL — Florida law enforcement officials say a five-day sweep recovered 163 missing children, ranging in age from 2 months to 17 years, in what state leaders called the largest child recovery effort in Florida history.
Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the results on Wednesday, saying Operation Statewide Shield was the first statewide child recovery initiative of its kind. Officials said the goal was to identify, locate and recover children using intelligence and field operations, then connect them to child-focused services right away.
Authorities said many of the children had faced abuse, neglect, exploitation or exposure to criminal activity. After being located, they were taken to recovery hubs for help from social services, medical providers, victim advocates and other child welfare professionals.
Recoveries stretched from Tampa Bay to international locations
Officials said the largest concentrations of recoveries were in Florida’s major population centers, including 46 children in the Tampa Bay region, 41 in Miami, 32 in Jacksonville, 21 in Orlando, 12 in Fort Myers, eight in Pensacola and three in Tallahassee. Investigators also said some children were found outside Florida…