On Monday, September 24, 2018, the Cape Coral Police Department received, through social media, a picture of a Facebook post from a concerned citizen. The picture was a snapshot of a Facebook post detailing an incident that had occurred at Target, located at Santa Barbara Blvd and Veterans Pkwy.

The post indicated that a female was being followed around the Target store by a male who was taking pictures of her. The female was under the belief that the male may be part of a sex trafficking scheme due to the circumstances and that he may have been with other men.

The Cape Coral Police Department did not receive a report or complaint of the incident but due to the severity of the claims, our Major Crimes Unit got involved to investigate.

On Tuesday morning we received a second Facebook post snapshot from a different concerned citizen indicating very similar circumstances.

During the investigation, Detective N. Jones was able to make contact with both individuals who had made the Facebook posts. He also went to Target to obtain further information.

Based on information developed Detective N. Jones was able to track down the male subject in question who was identified as a W/M, 51 years old, of Cape Coral. The investigation revealed that NO crime had been committed. The male was indeed taking pictures of females within the store but was never in an area that a person would have the expectation of privacy. The male was alone throughout the incident.

If you or someone you are with is involved in circumstances where you believe there is a threat we recommend the following:

• Walk to an area where there is a group of people. Safety in numbers.
• Call the police to report the incident immediately. It is much easier to locate, interview, and possibly arrest if a crime was committed.
• Report the incident to the business. If there are surveillance cameras, this may help secure video of the incident.
• Try to make a mental picture of the suspect so you can give an accurate description to law enforcement. This is to include unique features and clothing description.
• If you are intentionally grabbed or there is an attempt to abduct you or someone else, scream. This will draw attention which is not something a suspect wants; more witnesses or people trying to stop him/her.