Kennesaw State’s Police Department recently closed a case involving reports of human trafficking involvement against members of the World Society Mission Church of God, stating no illegal activity is or was taking place within the group.
University spokeswoman Tammy DeMel said that after interviewing members from the church and several of the students who reported the group to police, KSU PD determined that there is no evidence to show the group is any danger to students or the surrounding community.
The church group members were initially reported to the KSU PD by a student on the Marietta campus Jan. 30, according to an incident report.
According to the report, the student who initially reported the group said she was approached by “some people who made her uncomfortable” in the student center on the Marietta campus.
The student reported that two Asian women came to her in the student center, asking her if she knew the “holy mother.” During the conversation, the student said one of the women repeatedly left the conversation to speak to a man who was sitting further away from them.
They reportedly asked her to come to a Bible study later on, but she refused because she said the encounter made her uncomfortable. After the encounter, she posted her experience on social media where several of her friends told her that a religious group referencing a “holy mother” was allegedly involved in a sex/human trafficking ring.
The student’s friends reportedly heard rumors that the group was inviting women to Bible studies to meet with them off-campus where they allegedly plan to kidnap them. These rumors were also reported on different campuses in Georgia and other universities in the southeast and were also determined to be false.
According to the report, another student called KSU PD to report a group on the Kennesaw campus the same day the members of the World Mission Society Church of God were originally reported. The student said the group was handing out materials similar to those described in the rumors floating around on social media.
A police officer responded to the call, finding a group of individuals outside of the student center. The report said. “The subjects were witnessing for the Church of Jesus Christ and the Latter Day Saints.”
The police officer gave every individual in the group outside of the student center a criminal trespass warning.
