'Creepy Clown' Rumors Reach Paulding, No Substantiated Threats: Law Enforcement

DALLAS, GA — The national scourge of "creepy clowns" has reached Paulding County, with local law enforcement chasing down online threats of clowns wanting to "kidnap and kill" children, only to determine its part of a growing prank across the country.

The Paulding County Sheriff's Office on Wednesday said "a number of clown related social media posts" began popping up over the weekend. No clown sightings have been validated in the county and no local threats have been substantiated, according to law enforcement.

Some of those posts said a clown would arrive at schools and "kidnap and kill all the students," while others said clowns "would be hiding in the wood line at school," according to a news release.

"Residents are encouraged to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office," according to the Sheriff's Office statement.

In recent weeks, clown sightings — some real, some imagined and some made up — have swept through parts of the country, including Georgia.

Georgia Clowns in the News

• Wave of Creepy Clowns Haunt Law Enforcement Across South
• 'Creepy Clown' From Alabama Arrested at Georgia Walmart
• 11-Year-Old Athens Girl Arrested With Knife For Clown Protection
• Creepy Clown Sightings in More Georgia Communities
• Creepy Clowns Reported in Georgia

While there have been a handful of arrests of people scaring others while dressed as clowns, many of the reports have turned out to be unsubstantiated.

But the net effect has been a sort of clown hysteria, particularly among school children.

"The Paulding County Sheriff’s Office and the Paulding County School District want nothing more than to keep our kids safe and give them a positive environment to learn in," the news release said. "These clown scares/hoaxes are doing nothing but interrupting that goal and causing unnecessary panic amongst parents, teachers, and students."

The sheriff's office is urging parents to be vigilant of their children's social media use, as well, saying much of the clown fear is being stirred up there. Some local students have been discovered writing social media posts "inviting" clowns to their schools, the office said.

The release included the text of Georgia state laws that can be used to prosecute people who dress up to scare others, as well as laws against making false reports to law enforcement.

But the sheriff's office wanted to make it very, very clear no Paulding clowns have been spotted. Witness the following lines:

"All of the clown threats that have been reported to the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office have been investigated and unsubstantiated," the release reads. "Of the clown incidents that have been reported, none have actually occurred. There have been no confirmed clown sightings in Paulding County."

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