North Smithfield resident indicted and arraigned on charge of international kidnapping

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — A North Smithfield woman has officially been indicted with international parental kidnapping after she moved her five children without the knowledge of the children’s father.

In 2021, it is alleged that 33-year-old Jessica Abreau abruptly and without permission, moved her five children, all under the age of 16, to Alabama, and within months also moved them to Tanzania, said United States Attorney Zachary Cunha.

According to a release, in May of 2022, one of the children texted her father and stated that she will miss him after the couple had their final divorce hearing.

The father later learned that Abreu had moved with the children to Tanzania without his knowledge.

The father did have a scheduled visit on June 3, 2022, in which Abreau and the children did not appear.

Rhode Island State Court judge scheduled a July 19, 2022, hearing on the matter, for which Jessica Abreu failed to appear again.

A couple of weeks later, a Rhode Island Family Court magistrate judge signed an order awarding joint legal custody to Abreu and her ex-husband, and determined the State of Rhode Island as the “Home State” of the children.

Five days later, the family court found Abreu in violation of the court order; that she was in violation of applicable federal kidnapping statutes by taking the children to Tanzania and not returning to the United States; and she was ordered to return to the United States with all of the children.

The release further stated that the children’s father was awarded sole legal custody and physical placement of the children.

On June 1, 2024, Abreu and her children boarded a flight landing in Los Angeles International Airport.

Agents from the FBI and the Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth, and Families met the plane in Los Angeles.

Abreu was taken into custody by the FBI and the children were reunited with their father.