FBI Warns About Child Abductions Through Rideshares

FBI Director Christopher Wray speaks during a news conference in Omaha, Neb., on Aug. 10, 2022. Charlie Neibergall/AP Photo

The FBI has issued a public service announcement warning about criminal actors using rideshare vehicles to kidnap minor victims.

Though the prevalence of such incidents is rare, the FBI issued the warning due to the “high impact of such events,” the agency stated. The FBI said it has received several reports of child abductions using rideshare services since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Even though other transportation modes like public buses were also used for abductions, ridesharing afforded these criminals more privacy from potential witnesses.

“While using rideshare vehicles, threat actors were less likely to be apprehended when compared to other modes of transportation or facilities. Criminal actors benefitted from past mask requirements and social distancing in rideshare vehicles and may choose to continue wearing masks as it provides additional identity concealment,” the notice said while providing a few examples of such crimes.

In April 2022, a 16-year-old boy sought a rideshare trip in Texas. During the trip, the driver allegedly offered him a drink and the boy woke up inside an unfamiliar home. He was rescued after he approached a nearby home and sought help.

In February 2022, a rideshare vehicle in Mexico City drove off with a boy after the child’s father had exited to make a purchase. As the boy was able to call his mother, officials recovered the child and arrested the culprit.

In February 2021, a man from Colorado sexually groomed a minor and persuaded her to enter a rideshare vehicle which dropped both of them at an airport where they boarded a plane to Washington. The man was eventually arrested and charged.

Ridesharing Safety, Neglecting Child Abuse Cases

A 2019 poll conducted by the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital showed that 1 in 8 parents reported their teenage children between the ages of 14 and 17 taking a rideshare service either alone or with other teens (pdf).

Two-thirds of the parents were “concerned or very concerned” that the driver might sexually assault their child. Among parents with teen girls, this number rose to 79 percent.

The FBI’s announcement comes as the agency is embroiled in accusations of neglecting child abuse cases. An FBI whistleblower recently revealed that the agency was pulling agents from the bureau’s Violent Crimes Against Children program to prioritize Jan. 6 Capitol breach investigations.

In a letter written to FBI Director Christopher Wray in September, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, said that the whistleblower was informed by the agency that child sexual abuse material investigations were not an FBI priority and must be referred to local law enforcement.

“Such a posture is not only a dereliction of the FBI’s mission to investigate violations of federal laws, but it is a grave disservice to the victims of child sexual abuse and other crimes that do not advance the FBI leadership’s political agenda,” Jordan wrote.