Rochester Police: Attempted Kidnapping Story On Facebook Is Not True
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Police in Rochester say a story on Facebook about an attempted kidnapping that's been shared thousands of times is not true.
The story, posted Sunday morning, describes an attempted kidnapping by three men at a fireworks show on the Fourth of July in Silver Lake Park. The story is written from the perspective of a mother who notices one man staring at her daughter and snapping pictures, before attempting to grab the girl during the crowded Independence Day celebrations. When she confronts him, two more men approach to intimidate her.
At the end of the story, the woman says she reported the incident to police, who told her the men were likely trying to sell her daughter into sex trafficking.
As of 1 p.m. Monday, the story was shared over 11,000 times.
Despite the post's claims, Captain John Sherwin of the Rochester Police Department says they've received no such report. Sherwin also says the rumor resembles several other stories of men lurking at large events or big box retailers waiting to kidnap children into sex trafficking.
"A general internet search reveals that the majority of these viral posts have been debunked," he said. "While these types of posts are quickly shared on social media, we encourage citizens to use verified news sources for public information."
The fact-checking website Snopes investigated the post as well, and found no evidence of the incident.
