Which action constitutes False Report Regarding Missing Child or Missing Person?

• A. Filing a false report of a missing child or missing person with a law enforcement officer or agency
• B. Filing a true report of a missing child or missing person
• C. Providing a false report about a found child or missing person
• D. Filing a report with a private detective only

Answer: (A)

The action being tested is reporting to a law enforcement authority that a child or person is missing when the information is knowingly false. The statute targets false reports made to police or official agencies about missing children or missing persons, precisely to deter waste of investigative resources. That’s why filing a false report with a law enforcement officer or agency is the correct example.

True reports aren’t false, so they aren’t prosecutable under this offense. A false report about a found child or missing person isn’t aligned with the specific focus on reporting someone as missing; once a child or person is found, the “missing” status isn’t applicable. And reporting a missing person to a private detective alone doesn’t satisfy the requirement to file with a law enforcement agency.