Florida Officials Say More Than 160 Missing Children Were Found in Statewide Law Enforcement Operation

Children were found across Florida, as well as in six other states, one U.S. territory and 12 countries, including Brazil and Canada

NEED TO KNOW

• Florida law enforcement officials recovered 163 missing children, ranging in age from 2 months to 17 years, in Operation Statewide Shield
• Children were found across Florida, as well as in six other states, one U.S. territory and 12 countries, including Brazil and Canada
• Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier called the operation the “first statewide child recovery initiative and the largest operation of its kind in Florida history”

Florida officials said law enforcement agencies across the state worked together on a five-day operation to find more than 160 missing children.

On Wednesday, Aug. 25, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced that the state’s Operation Statewide Shield had resulted in 163 children, between the ages of two months and 17 years old, being recovered in what was described as the “first statewide child recovery initiative and the largest operation of its kind in Florida history.”

Law enforcement agents involved in the operation aimed to identify, locate and recover the missing children using information from intelligence and field operations before providing them with “immediate access to child-focused services.”

“Many of these kids have been victimized by those who prey on the most vulnerable,” Uthmeier said in a press release. “Thanks to the outstanding work of Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Office of Statewide Prosecution, and our state and local partners, these children are now safe and receiving the care they deserve.”

Officials said 46 children were recovered 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.

Children were also found in six other states, one U.S. territory and 12 different countries, including Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Dominica, Finland, Ghana, Guatemala, Italy and Jamaica. Authorities said that many of the missing children “had experienced various levels of abuse, neglect, exploitation or exposure to other criminal activity.”

Officials said that after the missing children were located, they were taken to “designated recovery hubs, where they received support from social services, child welfare professionals, medical providers, victim advocates and other child-centered resources.”

Non-profits and other organizations, including the behavioral health service BayCare, were among those helping to care for the children, Uthmeier said.

Investigators also closed each of the children’s files in the Missing Endangered Persons Information Clearinghouse (MEPIC). The Florida Department of Children and Families and the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice then took over their custody cases.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

Multiple arrests were made during the operation, according to Uthmeier.

Fox News reported that the three people arrested were identified by various law enforcement agencies, including the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.

Michael Corey Prescott was charged with three counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a minor, one count of felony battery and one count of aggravated assault. He also had an active warrant for interference with child custody.

Robert Ferral Allison was charged with lewd and lascivious battery on a victim 12 to 16 years old, and Jayden Allen Harwood was arrested on charges of interference in a child custody case and resisting officers without violence, Uthmeier’s office told Fox News.

Officials said they expect to make more arrests over the coming days.

Uthmeier shared in the press release that Operation Statewide Shield — overseen by Rita Peters, special counsel to the Attorney General for Human Trafficking — was structured around similar past operations in Florida, including Operation Dragon Eye, which saw 60 missing children found in 2025, per WFLA, and Operation Home for the Holidays, in which more than 120 missing children were found.

“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 in a press release.

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.