WACO, Texas — The McLennan County Sheriff's office is putting an end to a religious sex trafficking rumor that's spreading around Baylor University, especially after suspicious activity was reported at student housing over the weekend.
In a Facebook post, Waco PD spokeswoman Cierra Shipley said police got a call about suspicious activity at a student apartment complex near the 2200 block of University Drive. Police were told people were trespassing around 1 p.m.
Police were also told the people were knocking on doors telling residents about "God the Mother." However, Shipley said that statement is not true.
"To the rumor spreading on social media stating that 'God the Mother Church" is a sex trafficking scheme is NOT FACTUAL. This has been a rumor spread for many years on social media with numerous police departments around the country debunking the myth," Shipley said.
Shipley also added that the people who were trespassing did not lead officers into believing they were trying to lure residents into sex trafficking. She added that the officers were able to ask the people to leave the property.
"Although this wasn't an incident of sex trafficking, it's important to understand that sex trafficking does exist in our country," she wrote. "If you or someone you know is a victim of sex trafficking and needs help, please report it to the police."
"God the Mother" is a narrative that's been making the rounds online for years with some news articles dating back to 2018. The rumor reportedly involves a group of religious people approaching students and preaching to them about "God the Mother" then luring them into sex trafficking.
McLennan County Sheriff's Office Detective Joseph Scaramucci said the suspicious activity reported led to a worried mother posting about "God the Mother" reaching Baylor, which has since gone viral. In his post, the detective says it is inconsistent with actual signs of human trafficking.
Scaramucci addressed the post via his Facebook, stating: "I just received this from a few people regarding 'human trafficking' at Baylor. This is completely inconsistent with anything to do with human trafficking."
Scaramucci says that even though this particular situation wasn't a form of sex trafficking, he still ends his post with a warning to parents. "As always, pay attention to who your kids are talking to online, that’s where trafficking starts, not on college campuses by people saying “God the Mother.”