Cedar Rapids conference to honor Noreen Gosch, mother of abducted paperboy

The mother of a West Des Moines boy who was abducted nearly 21 years ago and has since become an advocate for abducted and exploited children will be honored at a conference in Cedar Rapids next month.

According to a release from the Preventing Abuse Foundation, Noreen Gosch will be presented the Family Protection Award during the 11th Preventing Abuse Conference. The conference will take place August 9 and 10 at the Hotel at Kirkwood Center.

Gosch's son, Johnny Gosch, disappeared in September 1982 when he was delivering papers. Police believe the boy was abducted.

Following her son's disappearance, Noreen Gosch's efforts helped to establish the Johnny Gosch Foundation in 1982 and led to the passage of the Johnny Gosch Bill in 1984. The bill calls for mandatory, immediate response to a missing persons report.

Gosch has delivered hundreds of speeches, appeared on more than 50 TV programs and, in 2007, provided information to the FBI that led to the arrest of 700 pedophiles worldwide, according to the news release.