On August 8, 2019, members of the FBI’s South Sound Child Exploitation Task Force and FBI’s South Sound Gang Task Force recovered a missing 10-year-old from Lakewood, Washington.

The investigation was initiated based on a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) and reports made to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office.

The child had been missing since August 2, 2019. It was reported to law enforcement on August 7, 2019.

FBI Task Force personnel searched for the child in Tacoma, Lakewood, and the surrounding Pierce County area. The child was located in the early morning hours in Lakewood, Washington.

This successful recovery was due to coordination between the FBI, the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, Child Protective Services, the Lakewood Police Department, and the Washington State Department of Corrections.