U.S. Marshals have rescued eight children in Indiana as part of an operation dubbed 'Homecoming'.
'Operation Homecoming' took place over five days from August 31- September 4, with the purpose of recovering 'highly endangered missing children' throughout the Indianapolis area.
The multi-agency mission was carried out by federal investigators, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
U.S. Marshals have rescued eight children in Indiana as part of an operation dubbed 'Homecoming'. Above, an image released by the agency of the operation
Officials also said that one adult linked to the children was taken into custody, with alleged crimes relating to parental kidnapping, intimidation, weapons possession and custodial interference
Limited details about the children and the circumstances surrounding the operation were released.
The children, who are between the ages of 6 and 17, were considered to be some of the most at-risk and challenging recovery cases in the area, according to a news release by the agency.
The assessment was based on indications of high-risk factors such as victimization of child sex trafficking, child exploitation, sex abuse, physical abuse and medical or mental health conditions.
The eight children, who were all reported missing by local authorities, have since been turned over to the Indiana Department of Child Services for victim assistance and placement, according to a U.S. Marshals Service news release.
Officials also said that one adult linked to the children was taken into custody, with alleged crimes relating to parental kidnapping, intimidation, weapons possession and custodial interference.
No additional information regarding the relationship between the adult and the children has been released.
The one-week initiative was the result of several months of planning and coordination.
'The children were all reported missing by local law enforcement, entered into NCIC and reported to NCMEC as missing,' according to the news release.
The one-week initiative was the result of several months of planning and coordination
Participating officers began investigating the childrens' whereabouts by starting with last known addresses, friend's homes and schools in hopes of finding them and getting them back to a safe place.
'The Marshals are committed to assisting state and local agencies with locating and recovering endangered missing children to help prevent their falling victim to crimes of violence and exploitation,' said Dan McClain, a U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of Indiana.
'The message that we wish to convey to the missing children and their families is that we will use every resource at our disposal to find you.'
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