Age-progression is the process of artistically changing or enhancing the physical attributes of the facial features in order to update the actual age of the person in the photograph to the perceived current physical age and expected appearance of that person. Age-enhanced photography is art form done by only specially trained forensic artists. This process uses the last known photograph of the person as a beginning reference point. The progress uses the current age of the person in the photo to create a new photograph that suggests how the person has aged physically over the years. The new age-enhanced photograph shows how the person may look five, ten or twenty years later.

The process of aging happens at a fairly regular and predictable rate of change starting from birth and ending when one dies. With a few exceptions, the process of aging goes forward in a steady and predictable rate. Although the aging process does not happen over night, everyone ages, as it is part of life. There are certain environmental situations, like farming, sunbathing, or personal habits, like smoking, that will definitely have an affect on the rate of the aging process.

Usually the most dramatic changes in appearance happen in the first few years of life, the face will lengthen and widen, until the facial and skull bones fuse together. Baby teeth are lost, as adult teeth grow in, the eyes narrow, the mouth widens, the bridge of the nose rises as the nose itself lengthens, and the face becomes less child-like and more mature over time. By age twelve, the face looks mature, although the chin is still forming and the nose still growing, this is when the cheekbones become prominent and the eyebrows fill in, and it is obvious adolescence has arrived.

Aaron Cody Stepp was just three years old when his maternal grandmother, Janice Stiles, and his legal guardian, his aunt Mickey Stepp, reported him missing on March 11, 1997. The day Cody Stepp went missing was one day before his mother Robyn Stepp was to get out of prison, for two counts of theft. As Robyn Stepp did the right thing, serving her 17-months of time, she entrusted the care of her son to her sister. As police investigated the disappearance of Cody, they discovered that his aunt and grandmother, who lived together, did not give Cody the care he deserved. Neither the aunt nor the grandmother can confirm exactly where Cody was on the day of his disappearance, each person claimed she believed Cody was with the other person. For more information regarding the story of Cody and his tragic life please see the link below.

Eleven years after Aaron Cody Stepp disappeared, he is still missing, and would be 14 years old now, What would the beautiful blond haired blue-eyed three-year-old toddler look like today? How would anyone know if he or she were looking at a missing child like Aaron Cody Stepp eleven years later? Aaron Cody Stepp had his picture age-progressed through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The updated photograph allows people in Columbus Ohio (the area where Aaron was last seen) and the rest of America to see what Aaron might look like if someone saw him in a public place, like the library, school, bowling alley, or walking home from somewhere.

So how does a toddler become an adolescent when the only thing anyone has is a picture of him at three years old? The person who does age-enhancement is a Forensic Artist. Forensic Artist use simple tools when working to create age-enhanced photographs of missing or abducted children. These tools include but are not limited to paper, pencils, a computer, imagination, and knowledge, and lots of photographs.

A variety of family photos can be what will make the age-progression a success or failure. Photos should include siblings at different stages of life, both parents around the age the child will be age-enhanced to in their photo, full facial photos of the child, siblings, and parents. Any photos of the missing child around the time the child went missing are helpful. Equally important, the information family members give to the Forensic Artist about birthmarks, scars, tattoos, congenital birth defects, burns, medications, or medical history that may affect how the child was growing. This information will help the Artist make the new photo as accurate as possible.

After completing an age-progressed photo, the Forensic Artist will compare the new photo side by side to other pictures of family members to see what similarities and dominate traits the family shares. There are only a few artists nationwide who do this process by hand on missing or abducted children, however with the advancement of computer technologies there are many computer programs being developed that provide Forensic Artist with accurate age-enhancement photography in with a faster turn around which is essential when children are missing or have been abducted.

Yet, the accuracy and speed of age-progressed photography is not necessary if no one looks at the pictures and looks at the children they see everyday in their neighborhoods, schools, churches, and homes. When your child has a friend over do you really look at the child, do you talk to that child to get a feel for that child? Do you know his or her parents? Do you look at the children as you walk your son or daughter to the bus stop?

If someone looks familiar, ask someone you trust for a second opinion, and if in doubt err on the side of caution and report the sighting to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children or local authorities and let them investigate and decide if it was or was not a missing child. At the NCMEC, the phone lines are open 24 hours a day, and the toll-free Hotline 1-800-843-5678 or 1-800-THE-LOST. You can remain anonymous.