Task force to combat exploitation of children
NORRISTOWN >> A recently formed Montgomery County task force focusing on human trafficking and child exploitation handled its first case this week and safely returned a 15-year-old county girl who ran away from home, according to authorities.
The girl, who was unharmed, was found within 24 hours in a hotel in Atlantic City and safely returned. It was the collaboration of task force detectives and New Jersey State Police that led to the quick return of the teenager, according to officials.
While officials said no specific details about the girl who ran away can be shared, they highlighted the case to announce the creation of the new Human Trafficking/Child Exploitation Task Force that is a partnership
between the Montgomery County Detective Bureau, five police departments and the Mission Kids Child Advocacy Center.
Formation of the special investigative task force was announced Tuesday by Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele, the Montgomery County Police Chiefs Association and Mission Kids’ Executive Director Leslie Slingsby.
The task force will assist local police departments with the specific goal of identifying, searching for and recovering runaways who are at risk of becoming victims of human trafficking.
“Trafficking women and children—forcing them into having sex for money or drugs—is an all-too-frequent crime that happens even though residents may not hear much about it. The most vulnerable population to fall prey to that victimization are children who have run away,” Steele said.
“Finding these missing children and helping them takes extraordinary resources, so we’ve come together to form this Human Trafficking/Child Exploitation Task Force under the direction of the Montgomery County Detective Bureau’s Special Victim Unit to provide the needed expertise and resources to help these children,” Steele added.
According to FBI statistics, less than 1% of the more than 400,000 missing children each year were abducted. The vast majority of missing children are runaways that could be subjected to the dangers of being trafficked or forced into performing sex for money or drugs.
The new task force will be led by county Detective Kathleen Kelly.
The first seven members of the task force are from five county police departments and they were sworn in last week. They are: Abington Detective Jeff Anderson; Conshohocken Detective Bill Walter; Hatfield Detective Alex Marchak; Pottstown Detective Brooke Hatfield; Pottstown Detective Todd Istenes; Upper Merion Detective Jay Nakahara; and Upper Merion Detective Mike Davis.
“Task Force members have extensive experience in investigations involving children, and their police chiefs were generous in allowing them to be a part of this important work,” said Steele, who thanked Abington Chief Patrick Molloy, Conshohocken Chief George Metz, Hatfield Chief William Tierney, Pottstown Chief Michael Markovitch and Upper Merion Police Chief Thomas Nolan.
“Without their support, the important work of this task force would not be possible,” Steele said.
Officials said children who run away often run to other jurisdictions, such as Philadelphia or to another state. Police response can become complicated when it is clear that the child is no longer local and the child’s exact whereabouts are unknown, officials said.
Referring children to the task force will be a cooperative effort, with input from police departments, Pennsylvania State Police, county Juvenile Probation, Mission Kids, county Office of Children & Youth and the county detective bureau, as well as federal partners.
Once it is determined a child is at-risk for being trafficked and exploited, task force members will initiate an investigation to assist the primary police jurisdiction with the ultimate goal of finding and safeguarding the child.
“As we have seen with recent arrests, human traffickers keep their victims held hostage and force them into sexual servitude,” Steele said. “We need to help save this vulnerable population and bring them home.”