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SALT LAKE CITY — University of Utah campus police are warning students about suspicious invitations to purported late-night Bible study sessions.
According to a safety alert sent to students Thursday, multiple female students have been approached and asked over the past month to join a Bible study believed to be associated with the God the Mother group, an international church based in South Korea. The individuals making the invitations typically claim they are for events on campus, near the university library and in the middle of the night.
Campus police acknowledged the behavior is not illegal, but said the activity has alarmed students.
The God the Mother group has been the source of similar complaints on over a dozen college campuses, including Portland State University, Texas State University and the University of South Carolina, although no criminal activity has been reported.
The group has been accused of having ties to human trafficking, but these claims are unsubstantiated, the U. safety alert noted.
“Police are actively attempting to locate and identify these individuals to learn more about their intentions and discuss their approaches. In most reported instances, there have been two individuals involved, with at least one being a woman,” according to the alert.
Incidents occurred in and around the Union building, Gardner Commons and the campus store, campus police said. Anyone with information is asked to call 801-585-2677.
