Charlie Hedges

Charlie Hedges is acknowledged as one of the UK’s foremost experts on missing persons; particularly children and those who are abducted and trafficked. During a career spanning 36 years with the Police and more lately with some of the UK’s leading public bodies in this field, he has amassed a wealth of practical and theoretical experience, nationally and internationally, and is now sought-after as a freelance advisor and media commentator.

In 2008, he joined the UK Missing Persons Bureau as the Liaison and Support Officer, in parallel to continuing his involvement in national policy development, providing support to UK Police forces at a strategic and tactical level, and working at a senior level with other statutory and voluntary agencies involved in missing person issues.

In 2012, he took up a new post at CEOP – the UK’s renowned Child Exploitation and Online Protection centre – as the Manager for Missing and Abducted Children. His portfolio spanned a broad range of issues related to trafficking, child abuse and child alerts. He has been involved in some of the most high-profile cases of recent years.

Charlie has amassed extensive international experience, working across Europe in relation to the development of child alerts and supporting other countries as an expert advisor. He has also delivered training to Police and other specialists in countries throughout the world.