Florida officials said 163 missing children found during Operation Statewide Shield, a five-day child recovery effort led by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and Special Counsel for Human Trafficking Rita Peters. James Uthmeier announced the recovery after the operation, which reached children ages 2 months to 17 years old.
Officers moved the children to specialized hubs for social services, medical care and child welfare support. Uthmeier said investigators were still working to determine who runs the trafficking networks, while three people were arrested during the operation.
Operation Statewide Shield
The operation included work in Pensacola, Tallahassee, Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa, Fort Myers and Miami. Authorities reported 46 children recovered in Tampa Bay, 41 in Miami, 32 in Jacksonville, 21 in Orlando, 12 in Fort Myers, 8 in Pensacola and 3 in Tallahassee.
The effort also reached six U.S. states, Puerto Rico and 12 foreign countries: Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Dominica, Finland, Ghana, Guatemala, Italy, Jamaica, Mexico, Spain and Taiwan. Uthmeier described Operation Statewide Shield as the first statewide child recovery effort and the largest of its kind in Florida history.
Michael Prescott and Robert Ferral Allison
Michael Prescott was arrested on Aug. 21 by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and charged with three counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a minor, one count of felony battery and one count of aggravated assault. Uthmeier’s office said Prescott already had an active warrant for interference with child custody.
Robert Ferral Allison was arrested on Aug. 20 by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and charged with lewd and lascivious battery on a victim 12 to 16 years old. Jayden Allen Harwood was also reported arrested on charges of interference in a child custody case and resisting officers without violence.
James Uthmeier
Uthmeier said prosecutors will pursue maximum sentences, including the death penalty where applicable for child sex abusers. Many of the recovered children were trafficking victims, but investigators were still working to identify everyone tied to the illegal operations, leaving the scope of any future charges tied to the open casework.
