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HIGHLAND — A man and two juveniles accused of using candy to try to entice children into a van have turned themselves in, telling police it was an "experiment with social norms."
Police said they received several calls about a suspicious silver van without a front license plate approaching children on June 19 and reached out via social media to warn the public.
This brought extreme concern to the local public, was widely shared on social media and was broadcast by local news agencies. Because of the alarm this raised with the community, charges will be forwarded to the prosecutor for review.
–Highland police statement
Two days later, the 25-year-old man and his two younger siblings went to the Lone Peak Police Station, told officers they saw pictures of their van on the department's Facebook page and said they were the ones in the vehicle.
The trio told police it was a prank and apologized, according to police. The encounters were reportedly filmed, according to the department's Facebook page. Police were concerned that several children accepted the free candy.
"This brought extreme concern to the local public, was widely shared on social media and was broadcast by local news agencies," police said in a statement. "Because of the alarm this raised with the community, charges will be forwarded to the prosecutor for review."