ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 19, 2011
Susan Kang Schroeder, Chief of Staff, Office: 714-347-8408, Cell: 714-292-2718
Farrah Emami, Spokesperson, Office: 714-347-8405, Cell: 714-323-4486

OCDA ANNOUNCES LAUNCH OF FIRST CHILD ABDUCTION FACEBOOK PAGE CREATED BY A PROSECUTORIAL AGENCY IN THE UNITED STATES

SANTA ANA – The Orange County District Attorney’s Office (OCDA) announced today the launch of a Facebook page for children abducted from Orange County. This is the first social networking page of its kind to be developed and utilized by a prosecutorial agency in the United States. The Facebook page was developed by the OCDA Bureau of Investigation and will feature current cases being investigated by the OCDA Child Abduction Unit.

“One of the worst things that can happen to a parent is to have their child taken, with no idea where the child is or if the parent will ever see them again. The children are victims, too, because they are deprived of the love, comfort, and company of the parent from whom they were forcibly taken,” said District Attorney Tony Rackauckas. “I hope this page will help to bring closure and happiness by reuniting divided families.”

The OCDA Child Abduction Unit investigates cases of missing children when the suspected abductor is a family member. These cases may call for international investigation when the child is taken to another country. The Child Abduction Unit maintains a 100-case workload. Their primary goal is to return missing children to their legal guardian through the enforcement of civil court orders.

The Child Abduction Facebook page will enable the public to use the high-traffic, social networking site Facebook to directly access information about current child abduction investigations and help the OCDA bring children back home to their parents. The Facebook page currently profiles six cases with individual victims believed to be in Mexico, Japan, Zambia, Kansas City, MO, and other unknown locations, as well as one case of two recently-recovered children. Additional children will be featured as needed, and the media will be notified accordingly.

The page features individual albums containing photos of abducted children, including age progression photos when necessary, photos of the defendant(s), circumstances of the case, and the suspected location of the abducted children. The page also includes links to other organizations, further information and resources for parents and the public, and an e-hotline that allows users to email tips to the OCDA regarding abducted children.

The OCDA’s Child Abduction Facebook page can be accessed by clicking here or by visiting www.orangecountyda.com and selecting the “OCDA Child Abduction Facebook” icon on the homepage. To access individual albums, click on the Child Abduction page’s profile picture and select “albums” under the “Profile Pictures” header.

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