SALT LAKE CITY — Elizabeth Smart is taking a job with ABC News as a commentator focusing on missing-person and child- abduction cases.
The Utah woman, who was kidnapped from her bedroom at knifepoint, raped and held captive at age 14 by a Salt Lake City street preacher, can provide viewers with a unique perspective, said network spokeswoman Julie Townsend.
A deal with the now-23-year-old has been in the works for several months and she could be on the air within the next few weeks, Townsend said.
“We think she’ll help our viewers better understand missing- persons stories,” Townsend said in a phone call from New York City. “This is someone with the perspective to know what a family experiences when a loved one goes missing.”
In an e-mail early Thursday, Smart’s spokesman, Chris Thomas, said the Brigham Young University music student wants to use the media position to further her goals.
“Elizabeth is committed to giving back and getting involved where she can make the greatest difference through child-advocacy work,” Thomas wrote. The Associated Press
