After accusing a Latino couple of stalking her and trying to abduct her children while shopping at a Michael’s in December 2020, 31-year-old Kathleen “Katie” Sorensen became a social media sensation.
Sorensen, however, was found guilty in 2020 of making a false report of an attempted abduction of her children, a California Instagram “mommy influencer” was sentenced to 90 days in prison.
According to a statement released by the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office, Sorensen was given her sentence last week. Judge Laura Passaglia ruled that a work release program may be used to fulfill 60 days of the sentence.
A 12-month informal probation period followed by incarceration followed by a requirement that Sorensen abstains from all forms of social media, submit to warrantless search and seizure (including of her electronic devices), attend a 4-hour training on implicit bias, and pay various fines and fees.
The ‘influencer’ falsely accused a couple of trying to abduct her children from a Michaels shop in their area. In an Instagram post, Sorenson stated that her “children were the targets of attempted kidnap.”
Sorensen said the Martinezes attempted to abduct her children while shopping at a craft store. Sorensen’s Instagram following increased from 6,000 to over 80,000 due to the charges she made there.
According to Sorensen’s account to police, the pair followed her as she carried her stroller full of children through the parking lot toward her vehicle. She claimed the pair stood near her car as she loaded her kids inside, making comments about how cute her kids were.
She said the guy had stared at her outside the store and that he and his wife had followed her around the establishment, describing her children to a caller.
She said the duo followed her to the checkout line, where they allegedly stayed behind her without making a purchase, and then out to her car in the parking lot.
While inside the store, she noticed a white van parked next to her car. She said the duo approached her, stepped back, and the only logical conclusion was that they “were just building the courage” to kidnap her.
According to Sorensen, the man went for the stroller, but a passing older man foiled the plan.
As she saw the pair drive away in a vehicle, she claimed another person approached from behind, possibly emerging from the white van they had been in.
The Martinez family “fully cooperated” with police when they were stopped at Michael’s, where they had gone to buy supplies for a Nativity display.
After investigating and finding “inconsistencies” in Sorensen’s narrative, police determined the pair were exonerated. For example, security footage contradicts Sorensen’s allegation that the couple did not make any purchases.
