Man on tourist visa banned from Gwinnett, Hall schools after trying to enroll

He also asked that parents help out by teaching teenagers about the dangers of meeting people online and in person and sharing information. That was after Lydia Clark said her daughter and some students met the man over the weekend at the Mall of Georgia, where he “came and purchased all four of them luxury perfumes and colognes, paid for all of their food, offered to give them money,” according to Channel 2 Action News.

While her daughter believed the man was a new student from Korea, Clark said she didn’t realize until later that he was over 18 and had just been given a trespass warning on the school campus after he was let in through a side door by a student, Channel 2 reported.

“If this person is this manipulative and able to convince all of these kids with very viable information, there’s no telling what else he’s capable of convincing them of,” Clark told the news station.

Gwinnett police confirmed to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that investigators were working with multiple agencies to “determine whether a crime occurred within our jurisdiction.”

“It is my understanding that the school has identified and made contact with the individual in question,” a police spokesperson said. “Anyone with relevant information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact 911 and file a report. We also encourage parents to speak to their kids about the potential dangers of social media and the people with whom they communicate with online.”

The man is also accused of making his way to Hall County, where he tried to enroll at West Hall High School on Monday, officials said.

Hall schools spokesperson Stan Lewis said that person matched the description of the person who was given the warning by officials at Seckinger High.

“When school officials noted he did not have the proper documentation and that he was not the appropriate age, he was directed by the principal to go elsewhere,” Lewis said.

Hall school officials immediately reported the incident to the Hall County Sheriff’s Office, Lewis said, adding that school resource officers were also assisting with the investigation.

According to the sheriff’s office, the 18-year-old called 911 to report alleged threats he received related to the news coverage of his visit to Seckinger High. After making contact with him, deputies said they were aware of his presence at the high school earlier in the day and issued the warning that barred him from visiting any school properties in the county.

The AJC is not naming the man because he was not arrested.

Agents with Homeland Security told the sheriff’s office that he was in the United States on a 90-day tourist visit from South Korea that is valid through May. His residence in metro Atlanta was listed in the 6000 block of Laurel Wood Trail in Flowery Branch, deputies said.

Like in Gwinnett, Hall school officials alerted parents and encouraged them to speak to their students about the dangers of communication with unknown people online.

“All of our schools have been advised to keep watch for this individual and to contact law enforcement immediately should he show up again on any of our campuses,” read a letter to parents from the Hall school district after the incident.

Lewis also noted that the public can report concerns to their anonymous tip line on the school district’s website.

— Please return to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for updates.