The use of a children’s book character in a social media trend has warranted a warning from police in White County. A bizarre new trend involving the classic Dr. Seuss character, The Cat in the Hat, has emerged prompting Carmi Police Chief Jason Carter to issue an advisory. He says an AI generated included some individual homes and local school buildings in Carmi and neighboring towns.
While the Carmi Police Department is investigating the incident, Carter says he wants to emphasize there is currently no credible threat to the district or its students. The whacky trend has taken ahold of social media, specifically Snapchat and TikTok, across the country, including Texas, Florida, Michigan, Louisiana, and Colorado. It’s gone international as well, with reports that there have been arrests in Mexico and the United Kingdom in connection to the Cat in the Hat trend. Carter is urging parents and guardians to talk with children about the dangers of these online trends and being responsible. He says that people creating or sharing these posts cannot hide behind artificial intelligence or anonymous accounts. As part of the department’s investigation, they use digital records, social media metadata, smart device activity and phone information to track where posts originated.
Online threats are never treated as a joke, and anyone involved — even those just reposting the videos — can face immediate school discipline or severe criminal charges. Anyone who spots suspicious or threatening posts targeting local schools or individuals is recommended to report the content immediately at 618-382-4633 or by emailing [email protected].