CHRISTIANSBURG, Va. – The Christiansburg Police Department is clearing the air after a social media post about an alleged local sex trafficking ring was shared numerous times.Â
According to police, the post claimed that members of a sex trafficking ring were following women through stores or approaching cars at intersections in the Christiansburg area.Â
Officers say there is no evidence to support that claim, but an incident involving men following a woman through a local store was reported to authorities.Â
Authorities received a report May 14 from a person who believed two men followed her through Target. An officer responded to the initial call, and the police department says its Criminal Investigations Division is following up on the report.Â
Officers say that to date, that report is the only incident of that nature, and they believe it is an isolated incident.Â
The department says officers reached out to the person who originally made the post about the alleged sex trafficking ring and confirmed that the poster did not speak with the victim who made the report or police.   Â
Authorities say that part of the post was pure speculation and that the post has been removed -- but not before it was shared numerous times.Â
The department also addressed a report it received about a man who was accused of trying to get into a car at the intersection in front of the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office in downtown Christiansburg.Â
Officers say the driver reported the matter to the police department four hours after the alleged incident, and by the time officers were able to reach the area, there was no one at the intersection.Â
There are no surveillance cameras in that area according to police, and officers say because of that, there is little they can do to follow up on the case. However, based on the initial description and social media comments, authorities say it's likely the person was a local panhandler known to operate in the downtown area.Â