Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs A foster home volunteer has been accused of hiding a teenage boy she wanted to adopt, supplying him with alcohol, cigarettes, and a marijuana vape at a condo, police said.The vulnerable teenager, who has not been publicly identified, had been living at the Crossroads Hope Academy, a home for boys who have had multiple failed foster placements. He was thought to have run away from the institution in Punta Gorda, Florida, on February 10 and he was not located until February 13.Newsweek reached out to Crossroads seeking comment, and the organization provided a brief statement saying the safety of the children in their care remains their “top priority.”
Pictured: Police tape surrounds a crime scene in this archive stock photo taken in Arlington, Virginia, in December 2023. Police were called to investigate after a boy vanished from his care home in Florida earlier…
Pictured: Police tape surrounds a crime scene in this archive stock photo taken in Arlington, Virginia, in December 2023. Police were called to investigate after a boy vanished from his care home in Florida earlier this month.
More
STEFANI REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images
Why It MattersThe case shines a light on vulnerable teenagers in the U.S. care system. According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, there were 359,094 reports of missing children in 2022—although it should be noted that some of those numbers were repeat entries for children who ran away multiple times.Analysis by Reuters suggests that the vast majority (more than 95 percent) are found comparatively quickly after running away. Abduction by a noncustodial parent or relative accounts for most of the remaining cases, and just 0.1 percent are reported as being abducted by a stranger.
Sherry J. Novelli, 61, is accused of interfering with the custody of a minor and contributing to delinquency.
Sherry J. Novelli, 61, is accused of interfering with the custody of a minor and contributing to delinquency.
Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office
What To KnowDetectives say 61-year-old Sherry J. Novelli—who volunteered at Crossroads—had set up the boy in a condo where she would visit him. There is no suggestion of a sexual relationship between the pair, but the local sheriff blasted Novelli, saying her actions were hardly “motherly” and were more likely to harm the boy than help him.Novelli now faces charges of interfering with the custody of a minor and contributing to delinquency.Deputies from Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) were called to Crossroads Hope Academy in Punta Gorda at 10 p.m. on February 10.Staff said the boy had been allowed to visit South Country Park that day, but they were later unable to find him. His disappearance followed an “unreported incident earlier in the day that involved a volunteer by the name of Sherry J. Novelli (08/16/1963), who was in the process of attempting to adopt the teen,” according to a statement released by the CCSO.Details about the “incident” were not provided, but Novelli was subsequently “asked to leave Crossroads and no longer have contact with the youth in their care.”When questioned later about the boy’s disappearance, Novelli feigned ignorance and advised police to try searching for him 100 miles away in Tampa, officers alleged. She claimed she had seen the boy at the park and given him food, but added she had left him there and not seen him since.Detectives became suspicious when they learned that Novelli had set up a bank account for the boy and bought him a cellphone and was continuing to pay for its service. CCSO records showed that Novelli had once asked the sheriff’s office to remove the teenager from Crossroads because she wanted to care for him herself.She was sent away at the time because she “had no grounds to do this as she was not his legal guardian. Further investigation found that no steps had been taken for an actual legal adoption.”Officers tried to arrange a meeting with Novelli on February 13 and, although she agreed, she mentioned she had a dentist’s appointment in Venice so was not available until later that day. Detectives subsequently discovered that the boy’s cellphone “pinged” showing that he was in Venice.A detective then called several dentists in the area and found which one Novelli was due to visit. He arranged for a deputy at Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office to check the location, and the teenager was found waiting in Novelli’s car in the parking lot. Both were taken into custody and Novelli was arrested.When questioned, the boy told officers he planned to run away from Crossroads after learning Novelli had been banned from the academy and they would no longer be able to see each other.Detectives said Novelli set the teen up in a condo where she would visit him and bring gifts such as alcohol, cigarettes, a marijuana vape pen, and a laptop. She used a code word when she buzzed the condo so he knew it was her, they added.Novelli “provided a confession to the detective and was placed under arrest on charges of Interference with Child Custody and Contributing to the Delinquency or Dependency of a Child,” the sheriff’s office said.What People Are SayingSheriff Bill Prummell of the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office said: “Youth who are enrolled at Crossroads Hope Academy have already had a rough go of things. To further complicate their lives is not a ‘motherly’ thing to do, and it only further harms them. This woman made a series of poor choices, and it is clear that she is not what is best for this young man. I hope that her impact is not long-lasting and that he finds the right person to help him find his way.”Newsweek asked Crossroads what sort of safeguarding checks the academy typically conducts on their volunteers, and also asked how long Novelli had been a volunteer, and how long she had known the boy. We also asked how old the teenager was, and inquired how he is doing now. The home declined to answer those questions, but Crossroads’ Executive Director John Davidson emailed Newsweek an official statement.He said: “The safety and well-being of the children in our care remain our top priority, and we are committed to maintaining a safe and supportive environment for all of our youth. We ask that everyone respect the privacy of the youth involved. We appreciate the quick response from Charlotte County Sheriff Office as well as their support of our efforts to provide a safe home for the youth in our care. As this is an ongoing legal matter, we are unable to provide further comment at this time.”What Happens NextNovelli was transported to the Charlotte County Jail and has since bonded out, the sheriff’s office said. A court date will be set in due course.
