• Micro momfluencer Katie Sorensen was convicted of falsely reporting against the law.
• Sorensen went viral in December 2020 for claiming a pair tried to kidnap her youngsters.
• Later, Sorensen recognized a pair searching for Christmas decorations because the perpetrators. Her story was false.

Katie Sorensen, a 31-year-old mother influencer, was convicted on one rely of constructing a false report of against the law after she claimed a pair tried to kidnap her youngsters at a Michael’s retailer in Petaluma, California, in December 2020. 

On December 7, Sorensen took her children to Michael’s, made a purchase order, obtained into her automotive along with her youngsters, and left the car parking zone, based on the Sonoma County District Legal professional’s press launch. Shortly after, she known as and reported to the Petaluma Police Division {that a} couple had tried to kidnap her children. Every week later, she posted a video to Instagram, which subsequently went viral, discussing the tried kidnapping “in an effort to boost consciousness” and gave viewers extra element than she’d initially given to police, based on the press launch. (Sorensen’s Instagram account is presently non-public, however snippets of the video have been reposted throughout social media). Sorensen additionally appeared on local news, reiterating the false declare {that a} couple had tried to abduct her youngsters and describing the perpetrators as not “essentially clear reduce.”

When police adopted up with Sorensen, she recognized a neighborhood couple from the craft retailer’s footage because the perpetrators. 

Following an investigation, nevertheless, Sorensen was charged with three misdemeanor counts of constructing a false crime report —  to a police dispatcher, to a police officer, and to a police detective.

Throughout her trial, Sonoma County prosecutors efficiently argued that Sorenson’s story was false, and the jury returned a responsible verdict on one rely of reporting a false crime. (She was acquitted on two different associated costs). 

“This verdict will allow us to carry Ms. Sorensen accountable for her crime, whereas on the identical time serving to to exonerate the couple that was falsely accused of getting tried to kidnap two younger youngsters,” District Legal professional Rodriguez mentioned. “The case can also be necessary in that it illustrates the significance of utilizing social media responsibly.”

Sadie Vega-Martinez, who was accused by Sorensen in addition to her husband, Eddie Martinez, instructed Elle journal she was “comfortable” with the decision and “grateful for the assist.” Vega-Martinez mentioned Sorensen had “prevented accountability for years” and the responsible verdict meant “justice was served.” In 2020, Vega-Martinez defined to the Petaluma Argus-Courier that the couple had been at Michael’s to buy Christmas decorations and said she believed the false story was racially motivated. 

Months earlier than Sorenson’s false claims, she started posting about anti-trafficking consciousness. She posted a 20-slide spotlight reel to her Instagram (@motherhoodessentials) and a photograph to her grid of herself holding what seemed to be a hand-drawn anti-trafficking signal, Elle reported, utilizing the hashtag #savethechildren, a hashtag related to the QAnon conspiracy motion. The journal famous that many “overly on-line mothers hopped on the anti-trafficking prepare” round that point, generally (deliberately or not) disseminating QAnon conspiracy theories of their posts and resulting in misinformation that sophisticated real-life anti-trafficking work.

“The decision of not responsible as to counts one and two rejects the speculation that my consumer lied to the police on December 7,” Sorensen’s protection lawyer, Charles Dresow, mentioned in a press release shared with Insider. “The jury reviewed the precise proof and located it to be very totally different than how the case has been portrayed exterior the courtroom. We’re disenchanted as to rely three and can consider our choices transferring ahead.”

Sorenson was remanded into custody and her bail has been set at $100,000. In accordance with the Sonoma County District Legal professional’s workplace, there is no sentencing date but, and the utmost sentence is six months in jail.