Man Who Helped Lost Girl Says His Life Is ‘Tarnished’ By Facebook Shaming

LAKELAND, FL — A 39-year-old Lakeland man called out on Facebook as a “child molester” after he tried to help a lost toddler reunite with her family says his life has been tainted by the experience. What was intended to be an act of kindness was mistaken as an abduction attempt. While police believed him, the child’s parents and their friends did not.

Even after Uptal Patel was cleared of any wrongdoing by Lakeland Police, the child’s family took to Facebook and Twitter to call him out, the police department reported after the incident. One of the posts included a photo of Patel and his two children. The poster accused Patel of trying to “snatch” the 2-year-old girl and called on people to share it to “help keep all babies safe” from him.

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Police said the posts were ultimately taken down, but Patel says damage was done.

“Everybody is looking at me funny and my respect is endangered now because nobody will trust me,” Patel told WFLA, adding that his life is tragic and tarnished.

Patel says he simply wants an apology and his life back, the station reported. Police are using the incident to warn people to check their sources before they post or share posts on Facebook.

"We encourage people not to jump (to conclusions) or speculate," Lakeland Sgt. Gary Gross said. "Call whatever law enforcement agency is in your jurisdiction to get the correct information."

Not taking the time to vet information can lead to defamation of character and libel claims he warned. "You could victimize another person."

Watch: A Florida Man Was Beaten And Facebook Shamed For Helping A Lost Toddler

See also: Man Beaten, Facebook Shamed For Helping Lost Girl, Cops Say

The incident that led to the upheaval in Patel’s life unfolded shortly before 3:30 p.m. June 24 at the 1444 W. Highland St. Southwest Sports Complex. Patel was at the park watching friends play softball, a police report said. Patel, who police described as the victim in the case, overheard several people say there was a small child lost in the complex.

Shortly after hearing about the lost girl, Patel spotted her wandering alone. Hoping to help, he walked up to her and asked her to tell him where her father was, a police report said.

As the two walked toward the complex’s playground, which happens to be near the parking lot, Patel was approached from behind. A man took the girl from the victim’s hands while the other two hit the victim “in the face, repeatedly,” the report said.

Police arrived and sorted out the mess. Patel was cleared of any wrongdoing by a witness and even declined to prosecute those who had struck him, including the girl’s 22-year-old father.

The police report noted Patel had suffered several cuts and had a swollen face. The aftermath on social media, Patel told WFLA, cut deeper. He even had to take his family out of town for their safety, he told the station.

No charges were filed against those involved in hitting Patel.

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Photo via the Lakeland Police Department's Facebook page