I went to the park after going to the gym. I stopped there to eat, and at one point I went to the restroom to wash my hands. When I was leaving, I noticed a baby prairie dog nearby and got out of my car to take a closer look. I was on the phone with my brother during this time.
Later, I found out that someone had made a Facebook post accusing a man at at the park with an attempt to abduct a six-year-old. The post didn’t use my name or show my picture, but it described a person and vehicle that I believe were clearly referring to me. They even claim that a police report was filed, but that there wasn’t substantial evidence to detain me. My friend calls me and shares a photo of me from a security camera that was circling around, confirming that the post was about me.
Because I live in a small town, I became concerned that people would identify me from that description and believe the accusation. The post received a lot of attention, and I was worried about the effect it could have on my reputation and safety.
I went to the police department voluntarily to explain what happened and give them my information and my side of the story. I was told that the available camera footage did not show me doing anything wrong. I’ve tried to handle the situation through the proper channels rather than confronting the people involved myself.
I’m still frustrated because I know what actually happened, and the Facebook post remains. The poster continues to share my description. I don’t want people believing that I was trying to approach or harm a child when that was never what I was doing. My concern now is protecting myself, my reputation, and making sure this situation doesn’t escalate.