From Staff Reports 

GREENVILLE, S.C. — The Greenville Police Department on July 20 issued a statement after receiving a complaint about someone recording young women along the Swamp Rabbit Trail and posting it on social media, Greenville television station FOX Carolina reported later on July 20.

In its report, the TV station added that “someone (was) recording individuals” along the trail, but in the Daily Planet’s research, the videos have been exclusively of young women, raising the issue of whether FOX Carolina and other Upstate local news outlets were being non-gender-specific — and deliberately vague — in their reporting to avoid being politcally incorrect.

However, later in its report, FOX Carolina more specifically stated, “Community members are talking about the issue online, claiming a man has been filming women and posting the videos on his social media account.”

The GPD ‘s statement noted the following:

“We understand that concerns have been raised by citizens regarding the recording of activities and people along the Swamp Rabbit Trail. 

“We want to reassure the community that while being recorded in public spaces is not against the law, we understand the sensitivity surrounding privacy and security.

“The Swamp Rabbit Trail is a popular recreational area where many citizens enjoy outdoor activities. 

“To ensure everyone’s safety and comfort, we urge all trail users to remain vigilant and aware of their surroundings at all times. 

“If you observe any suspicious or potentially dangerous situations, please do not hesitate to contact emergency services by calling 911.

“Our priority is the well-being of all individuals in our community.

“As of now we have only received one call about this from an out-of-state person.”

Meanwhile, the following are some of the comments posted on social media expressing concern about videotaping women on the trail:

• EnoughSalamander2423 — “Thank you for posting this!! So creepy.”

• EnoughSalamander2423 — “There is (are) younger girls in his videos, he is so close to them, too. i really hope you reported this!!”

• Sveet_Pickle — “If you type in the name in the video in TikTok, those videos are still up and there’s videos with his face. Or I assume it’s his face anyways.”

• DomoOreoGato — “I shared this with my neighbors who bike the trail a lot. One of them knows him and where he is a chef. I’m guessing now that this is getting out there he won’t be a chef much longer.”

 â€¢ NATChuck — “I tried really hard to give a benefit of the doubt considering I don’t understand the lyrics to the song(s) or the context, but as soon as they panned the camera AFTER the group of runners had passed by, that was the final nail in the coffin.”

• emilytullytime — “That was the video that did it for me, too. I really tried to give him the benefit of the doubt, but that was soooooo damning.”

• CompleteSoup673 — “Yep, Swamp Rabbit Trail in Unity Park.”

 â€¢ 0101001101010000 — “NOT defending the guy, just telling it like it is. Y’all aren’t gonna like this, but there’s likely nothing the police can do since he’s filming in public. They might be able to ‘trespass’ him for the day, if he’s hanging around a particular location or on private property. So, if you see him being ‘sus,’ call the police, so they can assess the situation. But, filming someone in public is totally legal and not harassment, if he’s not engaging them in any other way. I watched a few of his videos and it doesn’t look like he’s catcalling or otherwise engaging anyone. He probably knows what he can get away with legally — and that’s why he feels bold enough to post it on TikTok. You could go on TikTok and take the time to collectively report specific videos, so they get flagged and taken down. If everyone reports a different video, nothing will happen. Even if he stops posting to TikTok, or visiting these locations, he’s going to continue being creepy. One final point of caution: careful not to cross the line of harassing him, even if you think he may deserve it. That may be what he’s looking for, so that he can bring litigation against someone else.”