The clowns were standing inside a wooded area inside the photo. The caption on the THP Facebook post said, “THP wants everyone to watch for clowns trying to lure children in to the woods. They‘re possibly child predators looking for a simple child to target. ”
According to the THP post, the photo of the 2 clowns inside the woods was taken in the Jackson, Tennessee, area. By Sunday morning, the post were shared more than 5, 000 times.
The photo from the
wasn‘t a photo taken in Tennessee. This was a photo circulated throughout social… https://t.co/TMrskBxfPt
Late Saturday night, the Portland Police Department raised questions on the validity from the TDOS and THP posts. The police department posted to its own Facebook page, writing in part : “This picture which has been around numerous cities, belongs to a performance arts group called The Plymouth Clowns. The group is in Plymouth, New Hampshire and the photos were stolen… Re-sharing the stories on FB only generate fear and will ultimately result to something dangerous. It‘s a HOAX ! ”
Early Sunday morning, The Plymouth Clowns themselves posted in regards to the confusion to their own Facebook page, writing partially, “We have received lots of attention recently regarding our photos being utilized in Tennessee… We thank the multiple TN police departments that have been in contact with and working with us to assist clear our name inside the aftermath in our photos usage. ”
When reached on Sunday, The Plymouth Clowns told News 2 the photo is of the performance group. It was posted towards the group’s Facebook page on Aug. 21, more than a month before it was shared from the TDOS and THP.
News 2 contacted TDOS Sunday morning in regards to the photo in question. Later that morning, both TDOS and THP deleted their social media posts, writing, “The photo from the ‘clowns’ was not a photo given Tennessee. It was a photograph circulated throughout social media. While we want to provide awareness about this issue, the photo Isn‘t local. We always monitor this situation as it has been reported in Tennessee. ”
The Tennessee Highway Patrol is really a division from the Department of Safety.
Despite the confusion during the re-purposed photo, crime involving clowns is reported in Tennessee in recent weeks. Last week, a Coffee County teen said he was attacked by someone dressed like a clown.
source: http://wjhl.com
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