Virginia mass child abduction rumors untrue, police say

RICHMOND, Va. (WAVY) — Though many on social media are talking about an alleged mass kidnapping of children taking place in Virginia over the past few weeks, Virginia State Police and a Virginia-based foundation say such claims are not true.

The posts have rapidly spread on platforms such as TikTok, and include videos claiming that since Aug. 1 there have been mass abductions and even a serial kidnapper on the loose in the Commonwealth.

Virginia State Police, in a statement Wednesday, confirmed there is no evidence of mass abductions of children in the Commonwealth, saying “Virginia State Police is not investigating any reports of mass abductions in Virginia, nor is there evidence of mass abductions occurring in Virginia.”

Kenny Jarels, president and CEO of The AWARE Foundation, has worked for years with law enforcement offices to ensure missing children are brought home safely, and says these online claims are not true. 

“There is no mass kidnapping going on in the state of Virginia,” Jarels said. “That’s just not happening.”

State police mentioned all missing child cases get sent to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children website. VSP insured that nearly all missing children reports are investigated at the local level.

“The problem is that we have kids that we know were on that list that are located and safe but they’re still showing up,” Jarels said. “Of course, that adds to the conspiracy theory that we have a mass kidnapping because the kids are not removed in a timely fashion.”

Both Virginia State Police and Jarels state that many of the children listed are runaways, meaning they return shortly after being reported missing. 

“They’re running away for different reasons, of course,” Jarels said. “It could be that they don’t like the environment they live in, they could be running from a foster care facility, so the only thing that we’re trying to debunk is the theory that we have a mass kidnapping going on. That’s not happening.” 

According to VSP, investigative agencies have two hours to report the missing child case to VSP and if the disappearance rises to the level of a CODI or Amber Alert then the agency makes the request.

To activate a CODI Alert, the person missing must be:

• 17 years of age or younger or is currently enrolled in a secondary school in the Commonwealth.
• The child’s whereabouts are unknown.
• 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.
• Based on any other circumstances as deemed appropriate by the Virginia State Police.

To activate an Amber Alert, the person missing must be:

• 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).
• The law enforcement agency believes the missing child is in imminent danger of serious bodily harm or death.
• A law enforcement investigation has taken place that verified the abduction or eliminated alternative explanations.
• Sufficient information is available to disseminate to the public that could assist in locating the child, suspect, and/or the suspect’s vehicle.
• The child must be entered into the Virginia Criminal Information Network and the National Crime Information Center missing person files as soon as practical.

Virginia State Police also oversees the Virginia Missing Children Clearinghouse.

For the week of Aug. 3-9, 88 children were reported missing, which is lower than the 2025 weekly average in Virginia of 98. VSP has also issued 25 CODI Alerts and two AMBER Alerts this year, in which all kids were found.

For more information on missing children and a current list visit here.

To help keep children safe, Virginia State Police offer the following safety tips:

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.

You can also visit the National Center for Missing or Exploited Children website here.