It’s every parent’s nightmare – your child is missing. You could be dealing with an abduction by a non-custodial parent, or worse, a stranger. You’re hoping your kid has just run away, and will either be found or come home on their own. The course of action you take will depend on what you already know, and what you’re able to find out.
Why Do Kids Go Missing?
Despite all the horror stories you read on the Internet, the most common reason for a child to disappear is simply that they’ve run away from home. In this case, time is on your side. Nine times out of ten, your son or daughter will realize that life on the street or “couch surfing” isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, and they’ll come home on their own. However, if they’ve met with misfortune, they may be unable (or even, in some instances, unwilling) to return. When this happens, you may not get much sympathy from the police, especially if your child has a history of bailing when things get tough at home. If you suspect abduction, then you’re definitely going to want some help beyond what overworked police departments can offer. You may need the services of a PI firm like Martin Investigative Services.
Who Would Take My Kid?
Most abductions are orchestrated by non-custodial parents. If a breakup has been particularly acrimonious, the parent who doesn’t have custody may very well abscond with the child and head for parts unknown. They may even change their name and that of the child to prevent detection.
Less frequently, a child may be abducted by another family member. Perhaps an aunt or an uncle has decided that neither natural parent is fit to raise the child, and in the belief that they can do so much better, they take the same course of action – fleeing and changing their identity. This sort of attachment to a child by a non-parent is disturbing, and not to be taken lightly.
Stranger abductions are the most feared, but also the least likely. However, when they occur, stranger abductions are the biggest threat to your child’s safety.
Why Would a Stranger Want My Child?
This is the sort of thing no parent wants to think about. If your child has been taken by a stranger, the most likely motive is pedophilia. You could be dealing with one enterprising pedophile, or an entire ring of child pornographers who deal in abducted children. Stranger abduction for sexual purposes is a difficult crime to solve, often because you just don’t have a good suspect.
There are other reasons for stranger abduction, and they’re all horrific. Organ harvesting, for example, has become much more prevalent in the Internet age. If you’re ill and need an organ, there are brokers everywhere in the world who can provide a liver, a kidney, a heart, or anything else you might need. In some countries, medical facilities aren’t all that concerned about the origin of the organ.
Sometimes children are abducted so that they can be sold to people who are unable to have children of their own. You might think that this isn’t as bad as having a child abducted by pedophiles, and maybe that’s true, although you have to wonder what kind of people would buy a child who had been snatched from loving parents.
You Want Your Child Back
Regardless of the reasons or means for your child’s disappearance, the most important thing is that they’re found and returned safely to you. At Martin Investigative Services, we’ve reunited hundreds of missing children with their parents. Our investigative team is comprised of former DEA, IRS and FBI agents who can bring a wealth of experience to the search for your child. We charge a flat rate – no “daily plus expenses,” and if we fail to find your child, we’ll give you your money back.
Call Martin Investigative Services today at 800-577-1080 for a free consultation. You have nothing to lose, and your child’s safe return to gain.
If your child has been abducted, you need to act quickly. Soonest found, soonest safe.