An ex-police officer who claims to rescue children from human traffickers has fabricated stories to raise money for his charity. Adam Whittington, founder of Project Rescue Children (PRC), asserts that he has helped over 700 children in countries like Uganda, Kenya, and The Gambia. However, a File on 4 investigation revealed that some of these children were never trafficked and that funds raised, often with the help of celebrity supporters, did not always reach those in need.
PRC has dismissed the allegations as “completely without merit, misleading, and defamatory.” Yet, the investigation found multiple instances of misleading donors, including fundraising for a baby allegedly rescued from traffickers who had never been separated from her mother. The mother, living in poverty, stated that she never received any money from PRC.
Mr. Whittington, a British-Australian citizen, began his child rescue work two decades ago after leaving the Metropolitan Police. He initially set up a company to retrieve children taken abroad by a parent in custody disputes but later shifted his focus to trafficked or abused children. His and PRC’s social media pages, boasting 1.5 million followers, have garnered celebrity support due to their shocking content.
One high-profile supporter, Sam Faiers from ITV’s “The Only Way is Essex,” became a PRC ambassador and was taken to Uganda last September to meet orphaned and destitute children. She appealed to her millions of fans to donate, raising £137,000 ($175,000) to build a rescue center and cover its initial running costs.
Suspicions arose when allegations of financial mismanagement and fabricated stories about children surfaced on social media. Less than half of the donated funds, £58,000 ($74,000), were sent to PRC’s Ugandan partner organization, Make a Child Smile. Its founder, Alexander Ssembatya, who apologized to donors, claimed that the remaining money had been “eaten by Adam Whittington and PRC,” leading to a halt in construction due to a lack of funds.
Sam Faiers expressed her disappointment and urged Mr. Whittington to release the remaining funds immediately. PRC responded, stating that the provided money was sufficient for the rescue center’s construction and accused Mr. Ssembatya of refusing to sign a contract and mismanaging funds. PRC claimed the remaining funds were spent on other children in Uganda and the Philippines.