Computer Age Progression

"Our missing children" partner, National Missing Children Services, offers a Computer Photo Age Progression service. Computer Photo Age Progression is a combination of science and art. It enables a trained Forensic Artist to create from photographs a portrait with a likeness of what a missing child would look like today.

When a child has been reported missing, it is essential that the investigating police officer has a complete description and other important information about the child. When a child has been missing over an extended period of time the original photographs of the child become outdated. It is important that an Investigator has up-to-date photographs of the child for use on flyers and posters, to verify sightings and generate new leads for the police. It would be unlikely that a child on a poster would be recognized if the photograph portrays the child at a young age and he/she is now two or more years older.

The main objective of National Missing Children Services is to assist police nationally and internationally, in the search for and recovery of missing children. This technology is a useful tool to an Investigator and will enhance the ability to assist police agencies across the country.

This service is available to all police agencies, across Canada and internationally, where the service is not available. It may be utilized at any time by contacting National Missing Children Services.

The following age progression of Yohanna Cyr demonstrates the results of the Computer Photo Age Progression system.

Age 2

Age 26:

The ideal criteria for a request for Computer Photo Age Progression of missing children:

1. The child must be a minimum of two years of age.
2. The child must be missing for a minimum of two years.
3. Photographs of the child taken as close to the day of disappearance as possible must be available, preferably a frontal view.
4. Provide photographs of the biological parents and/or brothers and sisters at the age the child’s photo is being aged to.
5. Provide photographs of the biological parents and/or brothers and sisters at the same age as the child was when last seen, most suitably in the same position as the photo of the child.
6. Photographs may be in either colour or black & white.
7. DO NOT mark on the photographs in any way. Comments should be attached on a separate piece of paper. (For example : identifying the location of a specific scar.)
8. The best photographs are the ‘school picture’ type. The more photos available, the better chance the Forensic Artist has in obtaining a good likeness.For more information on Computer Photo Age Progression, or to request this service, contact RCMP National Missing Children Services toll free 1-877-318-3576.

Our Missing Children
c/o RCMP National Missing Children Services
1200 Vanier Parkway
Ottawa (Ontario) K1A 0R2
Canada
Telephone (613) 993-1525
Facsimile (613) 993-5430
NCO i/c NMCS telephone
(613) 993-1771
Operations Analysts telephone numbers
(613) 993-7860 or (613) 993-8656 or (613) 993-3653
Website - http://www.ourmissingchildren.gc.ca