A post circulating on social media has caused concern among some in Boca Raton.
The post claimed a mother was at Sugar Sand Park and while her daughter and a friend were playing another set of girls approached them and asked them to play hide and seek. The mother claimed she got a bad feeling that the girls were luring her daughter and friend to a strange man hiding in the playground and she thought they were apart of a sex trafficking ring.
The post was shared in several Facebook groups from Martin County to Broward County.
Mark Economou with the Boca Raton Police Department said officers did not find a man or any girls when they responded to the park Saturday night. He said the woman who wrote the Facebook post admitted she added info about possible sex trafficking on her own.
“We are in a new era today with social media and it continues to grow larger and larger,” said Economou.
Parents at the park on Monday said they were glad the situation was taken seriously.
“What I found surprising is that a parent actually did the right thing and called the police instead of brushing it off,” said resident Steve Walker.
But Walker said posts like that can also have negative effects.
“As far as increasing awareness and not increasing panic that is what you are looking for,” said Walker.
Police said it is always a good idea to call police if someone looks suspicious and to always keep an eye on your children in public.
Police said the mother deleted her original post but others had copied hers and shared it in Facebook groups.