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Community Pulls Together after Kidnapping Hoax

Community Pulls Together after Kidnapping Hoax (Added: January 26, 2010)

Pastor Ralph Huling is still raising awareness, hoax or no hoax. (more)

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By Alison Flowers
Published: January 26, 2010

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Columbus community groups aren't giving up after the news from police Friday that the second reported child abduction in three weeks was a hoax.

The first actual abduction and assault was January 6. An East Columbus Magnet Academy student was on her way to school when she was forced into a vehicle at gun-point and sexually assaulted at nearby Belvedere Park.

The next week police arrested and charged Marcus Wade with the crimes. His case bound over to Superior Court.

Day later another East Columbus Magnet Academy Student claimed to have been abducted at her bus stop. Police began to see inconsistencies in the girl's statement and declared it all a hoax Friday, one day after Pastor Ralph Huling of Saint James Missionary Baptist Church held a community meeting involving the Sheriff's department, Marshal's office, school board and fellow clergy.

Monday Huling said that he's glad the community has come together and that they're still planning on launching Operation Front Porch and Operation Safe Haven, two developing programs to keep better watch on Columbus children.

"We do not condemn the child, neither do we condone what has happened, but we feel this has brought a cohesiveness in this community, and there's still sexual predators in this zip code and zip codes throughout columbus, so we feel there's been a heightened awareness," Huling said.

Huling is planning a town hall meeting soon.