NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A viral trend featuring a live-action AI version of the children's book character the Cat in the Hat is spreading threatening posts — some including children's names — and Tennessee law enforcement is receiving reports in large numbers.
Tennessee Deputy Commissioner of Homeland Security Greg Mays said investigators believe the trend originated in the United Kingdom before spreading across the country.
"We believe it started in the UK and it's all over the country," Mays said.
Images and videos resembling a live-action Cat in the Hat with dark or unsettling undertones are circulating online. Mays said some of the content crosses a legal line.
"Threats to a school, threats to a person or group of people or threats to the community and that's where it crosses the line," Mays said.
Tennessee investigators are already looking into the posts.
"Every one of those threats that has some sort of investigative thread that we can pull on, we are investigating," Mays said.
Robertson County parent Jessica Henderson said her daughter brought the trend to her attention after a friend's name appeared in one of the posts.
"It wasn't just their first name but some of them had last names too," Henderson said.
Henderson took screenshots from social media videos to warn other parents.
"The Cat in the Hat has been around for decades but now he's this evil thing for this new generation because of this tiktok trend," Henderson said.
Mays said what starts as an online post or prank can quickly escalate into a criminal investigation.
"Put yourself in the shoes of a parent and it's frightening," Mays said.
He is encouraging parents to talk to their children about the consequences of sharing these videos and to report the content to law enforcement rather than re-posting it.
"We're continuing to work with our federal partners. And then we're also working with our state and local partners, you know, the SROs and schools, local law enforcement, school officials," Mays exaplained.
Henderson said she is grateful for the state's investigation but wants to see results.
"I'd like to know they have been caught and that something is being done about it," Henderson said.
Tennessee's Threat Assessment Center operates 24 hours a day, and officials say they have already received a large number of reports connected to the trend. Authorities are asking the public to focus on reporting content that contains an actual threat.
Reports can be made directly to the center or anonymously through the SafeTN app.
Officials warn that serious consequences — including potential charges for threats of mass violence or harassment — are possible for anyone behind a threat. The state is also sharing information with other states as investigators track the trend nationwide.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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