Suspicious activity was reported to the Longview Police Department over the weekend. The reporting party felt that she had just avoided a potential sex trafficking situation with her two year-old child. An LPD Detective spoke with the mother at great length and she explained the situation that occurred over the weekend. She stated that while in line at the grocery store an unknown couple showed interest in her two year-old daughter. Several things occurred in a matter of a couple of seconds that caused the mother to be alarmed. Her protective instincts kicked in and she removed her child from the situation that was bringing unwanted attention to her child. As of right now this is an isolated event, we have not had any similar reports. We do appreciate this parent coming forward and letting us know about the incident at the local store. We have documented the information and also reviewed the video from the store in order to be able to share that information with other agencies should the need arise.
We would like to encourage parents to be vigilant when it comes to your child’s safety. Be watchful over the contact they have with others. Teach your children about appropriate relationships and to avoid strangers. In addition we would like to remind citizens to report any suspicious activity immediately. When our citizens are observant and they report suspicious activity they may be a key to deter or prevent future criminal offenses from occurring.