Ross Twp. Police Receive Reports Of Possible Sex Trafficking After Rumors Spread On Social Media
ROSS TOWNSHIP, Pa. (KDKA) - Concerns of sex trafficking in the Pittsburgh area are on the rise after recent social media posts have become a hot topic.
"Sex trafficking did not occur to me until two to three months later now when I read the post on NextDoor," said a Franklin Park resident who didn't want to be identified.
He said he and his wife were shopping at the Cranberry Giant Eagle about two or three months ago when his wife was approached by two young women.
"Two girls approached my wife and asked if she'd like to join a bible study and when I approached to see what was going on, their demeanor changed noticeably and they kind of backed off and the conversation ended," he said.
He said the interaction took place in the produce section of Giant Eagle, which has a no solicitation policy.
"They had cards. We did not take a card and that was kind of it," he said.
Ross Township Police said investigators looked into the church group known as the World Mission Society Church of God back in 2018, and found no evidence of them being related to sex trafficking.
The spokesperson with the department said they have had no recent reports filed. However, they have received calls every few months from concerned citizens regarding possible sex trafficking.
The church has locations across the country, including in West View. People were there getting ready to worship when KDKA stopped by. The spokesperson in New York told KDKA over the phone the sex trafficking rumors started in 2016 in Florida.
"One of our members approached a young lady in -- I think it was -- a Target, inviting her to bible study and apparently this person had been just reading these posts about potential traffickers in Walmarts and Ikeas and what not and she assumed that this was the case with her," said World Mission Society Church of God Spokesperson Victor Lozada.
Lozada said the woman posted the encounter on social media and it spread like wildfire. Lozada said the church is big on evangelism and the sex trafficking rumors are not true.
KDKA reached out to several other police departments north of Pittsburgh in Wednesday to see if they had any similar reports. So far, Ross Township is the only department that's been dealing with these complaints.