Local sheriff’s offices are asking for children and parents to exercise caution surrounding online hoaxes that involve social media and disturbing images and videos. Threatening “Cat in the Hat” videos have circulated in other parishes, officials say.
According to the Lafourche Parish and Assumption Parish Sheriff’s Offices, the videos use the likeness of the “Cat in the Hat” involving AI-generated images and videos with Dr. Seuss-style wording to threaten violence on schools and individuals. The sheriff’s offices want to remind the public that creating threatening videos is not harmless and is also illegal.
Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre said this hoax is similar to trends around a decade ago. The widespread use of social media, however, is what helps feed the anxiety these kinds of stunts create.
“Unfortunately, people sometimes will take at face value what they see on social media,” Webre told UWK. “They’ve lost the ability to filter out fact from fiction, and I guess people want to err on the side of caution, but that’s why I always recommend they trust sources like law enforcement and credible media to make their decisions and get their facts out.”
Threatening messages and videos will not be treated as a joke, the Assumption Parish Sheriff’s Office said. Anyone who creates these kind of images and uses them on social media, as well as anyone who shares these images can face severe consequences from both the school system and law enforcement.
All threats are taken seriously and there will be an investigation to determine if they are credible, Lafourche Parish shared.
“We can assure you, we have the technology, investigative tools, and partnerships with social media platforms necessary to find those responsible,” Webre added.
Students or parents who receive or see these kinds of threatening videos or images are asked to contact their sheriff’s office.
Download the Unfiltered with Kiran app from the Apple App Store and Google Play to stay updated on the latest news across the Capital area.
Support UWK and its mission to deliver The News You Deserve. Unfiltered. Become a monthly patron on Patreon today!
