Several Kennesaw State students have reported being approached on both the Kennesaw and Marietta campuses by two suspicious individuals allegedly involved in human trafficking.
Many students have claimed that an Asian woman and an African American man have been approaching students on campus and inviting them to come to a Bible study, asking students if they would like to learn more about “God the mother.”
KSU student Hannah Forsberg described her encounter with the two in a Facebook post on Tuesday. She said the individuals were talking to students in the student center on the Kennesaw campus, and she explained that the two were “pretty persistent” when speaking with students.
Forsberg and many other students have said that both individuals are part of a sex-trafficking ring in Marietta.
The university sent an advisory to students on Wednesday explaining that officials are aware of the reports against the individuals, and they have opened an investigation to look into the allegations. Officials stressed that they currently have no information that would suggest there is any threat to students or the surrounding community.
Students from surrounding campuses have also said to have been approached by two suspicious individuals. According to The Signal, Georgia State University students said Wednesday that they were approached by two women who were part of a “fake church community.”
Taylor Liszewski, a public relations student at the University of Georgia, also reached out on her Facebook about two similar individuals at UGA.
Some KSU students have said that the two people speaking to students on campus are part of The World Mission Society Church of God in Norcross, Georgia. According to its website, the church started as a religious movement in South Korea in 1964 and has since established 2,500 local churches in 175 countries.
The University of Mississippi’s newspaper, The Daily Mississippian, reported students had brought similar allegations against people claiming to be from The Church of God on their campus.
They reported that the Oxford Police Department launched an investigation into the allegations and had determined that the church was legitimate and was simply looking to expand to the area.
The human and sex trafficking allegations against the two individuals at KSU came just two days after Atlanta’s mayor announced a new plan to combat human trafficking in the Atlanta area, according to WSB-TV.
Check back with The Sentinel for more updates on this story.