Скачать или смотреть Renewed focus on missing children after man impersonates missing boy

CINCINNATI (WKRC) - The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has been extremely busy with pouring in from people interested in the Timmothy Pitzen case. This comes after a 23-year-old man from Medina, Ohio, named Brian Rini showed up in Newport Wednesday morning and pretended to be the boy who went missing in 2011.

News Thursday that Rini was an impostor hit everyone hard as they search for a silver lining. Local 12 spoke with the NCMEC's director of media, Angeline Hartmann, via Skype from their offices in Alexandria, Virginia, about the case.

"It's been devastating for all of us here. We are very close to Timmothy's family and have worked with them over the years many times. It's heartbreaking to see what they're going through now," said Hartmann.

Hartmann says every year the FBI gets reports of more than 400,000 missing children. NCMEC worked on about 25,000 cases in the past year. The Pitzen case stands out.

"Timmothy's case is very unique, not only because of today, but all of the circumstances. His mother, so many ideas about what happened to him," Hartmann said.

Pitzen's story has been featured on many television shows, but the center feels it's had little traction nationwide compared with other high-profile cases. That has now changed. Of all the missing children cases worked on by people at the center, their recovery rate is more than 97 percent.

The hope is people will take a second look at Pitzen's age progression photo and be alert to all the children in their communities.

"The reaction on social media has been unbelievable. People telling us how they are praying for him. Will it translate to others? We'll have to see, but I can tell you the focus on missing children is definitely there," said Hartmann.

If you have any information that can help police find Pitzen, you're asked to call NCMEC at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) or the Aurora Police Department at 630-256-5000.