Law enforcement agencies, including the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, are investigating social media videos featuring AI-altered images of the “Cat in the Hat” that contain threats directed at schools and other buildings. Both St. Johns County and Putnam County officials confirmed that no credible threats have been identified.
The viral trend has raised concerns among law enforcement and school districts across the country. School districts are communicating with parents about the trend as authorities ask parents to discuss the consequences with their children, warning that students as young as 15 face criminal charges for creating, sharing or reposting threatening content.
The videos appearing on social media display an artificial intelligence-altered Cat in the Hat character placed outside schools, homes or other structures.
Authorities are asking anyone who encounters a threatening post online to report it to law enforcement rather than share or repost it. In St. Johns County, the school district sent a message to parents regarding the trend while the sheriff’s office investigates the posts.
Aaron Russell, communications director for St. Johns County schools, emphasized the importance of taking all potential warnings seriously. “You would rather address something that’s false and it not turn out to be true than to overlook something that could possibly be a threat and you didn’t do your due diligence,” he said.
The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office also responded Monday to the viral trend, stating in a social media post that officials are not aware of any credible threat to Putnam County schools. The sheriff’s office reported that it is communicating with Putnam County School District officials and monitoring social media platforms.
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