ABC News Hires Kidnap Victim Elizabeth Smart

ABC News has hired Elizabeth Smart as a contributor, a
network spokesperson confirmed Thursday.

Smart, a former kidnapping victim, will comment on missing
persons cases for all ABC News programs and platforms. She could debut on the
network in the next couple of weeks, dependent on news coverage.

The spokesperson said Smart, who was abducted in 2002 and
held captive for eight months, would "be focused on looking ahead, not looking
back at her own story."

On Sunday ABC News will air a two-hour special on Diane
Sawyer's interview with another kidnapping victim, Jaycee Dugard. Smart will
not contribute to that special.