Virginia State Police push back against viral videos about missing children

Virginia State Police are trying to push back against viral social media videos about missing children.

State police say they’re not investigating any reports of mass abductions. And there’s no evidence mass abductions of children are happening in Virginia.

A statement from the agency seems to suggest whoever is creating the videos is misinterpreting data from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children website.

Unlike other states, Virginia reports every missing child to the center as a way to centralize the cases in one place. Many other states operate their own clearinghouse websites.

Here's the complete announcement from Virginia State Police:

RICHMOND – Virginia State Police is aware of multiple social media posts raising concerns about missing children across the Commonwealth of Virginia. Virginia State Police is not investigating any reports of mass abductions in Virginia, nor is there evidence of mass abductions occurring in Virginia.

Virginia State Police oversees the Virginia Missing Children Clearinghouse (MCC) in addition to the alert programs (the CODI and Amber alerts are relevant here). The current list of all missing children in Virginia is located here: Missing Posters Search Results

Virginia has reported more missing children than other states on the National Center for Missing and Exploited Kids (NCMEC) website. This is because Virginia State Police forwards EVERY missing child case to NCMEC. According to NCMEC, Virginia is the most pro-active in sending cases to their website. Virginia does this to centralize missing children’s cases so they can all be reviewed in one location. Many other clearinghouses post their cases to their own website. In Virginia, the MCC uses NCMEC as the clearinghouse site.

Nearly all missing children are investigated at the local level. When a child (under the age of 21) goes missing, investigating agencies have TWO HOURS to report it to Virginia State Police. If the agency believes it rises to the level of a CODI or Amber Alert, the agency makes the request. The criteria for those alerts are below:

Criteria for the Activation of the CODI Alert
Each law enforcement agency shall investigate the matter to verify the disappearance, and eliminate alternative explanations where evidence is lacking. Information must be established to meet the definition of a missing or endangered child. Also, sufficient information must be available to disseminate to the public to assist in locating the missing child, to include a vehicle if there is one, in order to activate the alert. Elements for a missing or endangered child:

1. Any person 17 years of age or younger or is currently enrolled in a secondary school in the Commonwealth.
2. The child’s whereabouts are unknown.
3. The child’s disappearance is under suspicious circumstances or poses a credible threat as determined by law enforcement to the safety and health of the child.
4. Based on any other circumstances as deemed appropriate by the Virginia State Police.

 
Criteria for the Activation of the AMBER Alert Plan

1. The abducted child must be 17 years of age or younger or currently enrolled in a secondary school in the Commonwealth, regardless of age, and the reporting law enforcement agency believes the child has been abducted (unwillingly taken from their environment without permission from the child’s parent or legal guardian).
2. The law enforcement agency believes the missing child is in imminent danger of serious bodily harm or death.
3. A law enforcement investigation has taken place that verified the abduction or eliminated alternative explanations.
4. Sufficient information is available to disseminate to the public that could assist in locating the child, suspect, and/or the suspect’s vehicle.
5. The child must be entered into the Virginia Criminal Information Network (VCIN) and the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) missing person files as soon as practical.

If all of the aforementioned criteria are not met, the Virginia AMBER Alert Plan will not be activated.

ANECDOTALLY, MOST OF THE CHILDREN REPORTED MISSING ARE RUNAWAYS, AND MOST RETURN SHORTLY AFTER BEING REPORTED MISSING.

Here is the data:

• Last week, Aug. 3-9, 2025, 88 children were reported missing to the MCC.
• The 2025 weekly average of missing children in Virginia is 98.
• Since January 2025 to current, a total of 3,274 children have been reported missing to the MCC. Of these, 141 (as of 10:30 am Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2025) are still missing or approximately 4%.
• Virginia State Police has issued a total of 25 CODI Alerts in 2025 to date. All were found.  This includes a CODI Alert Monday morning, August 11, 2025, that was issued from Manassas Park, which was also cancelled Monday morning after the subject was found safe.
• Virginia State Police issued a total of two Amber Alerts in 2025 to date. All found.

Virginia State Police offers the following safety tips to help keep children safe:

1. Have your child practice making 9-1-1 calls from both a cell phone and a landline (unplugged or with batteries removed).
   
2. Make sure your child knows not to accept rides from strangers and not to trust a stranger who suggests they go off alone together for any reason, for example, to find a lost puppy, etc.
3. Tell your child to let you know immediately if another adult suggests keeping secrets from you.
4. Never leave your child alone in the car, even for a minute.

More information can also be located here: Missing Children Clearinghouse (MCC) – Virginia State Police. Anyone with information on a missing child can contact (804) 674-2000 or (804) 674-2026 after business hours. You can also email VAMissing@vsp.virginia.gov

The Virginia State Police encourages the public to visit the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children website for the complete listing of photos and informational posters for Virginia’s missing children. Any information you may have relating to these disappearances could be the tip needed in solving the case.