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Abduction and Kidnapping

Kidnapping and Abduction laws vary from state to state, but generally apply to anyone who without lawful authority, forcibly seizes and confines another, with intent to cause such other person to be secretly confined or imprisoned against his will.

Kidnapping is also a federal crime and several federal statutes have been enacted to address this issue including the Federal Parental Kidnapping Prevention Act and Congress passed a national AMBER Alert bill as part of the Prosecutorial Remedies and Other Tools to end the Exploitation of Children Today (PROTECT) Act of 2003, Pub. L. No. 108-21, 117 Stat. 650. Under this bill, the attorney general, in cooperation with the secretary of transportation and the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), appoints a National AMBER Alert Coordinator to oversee the communication network. The AMBER Alert Coordinator at the Justice Department works with states, broadcasters, and law enforcement agencies to set up AMBER plans, to serve as a point of contact to supplement existing AMBER plans, and to facilitate appropriate regional coordination of AMBER Alerts.


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