LAGRANGE, Ga. -- Police in west Georgia say they've received several calls about clowns trying to talk to children and are investigating an online threat to abduct children from local schools.

LaGrange police said in a statement that officers will file charges if appropriate.

LaGrange police Lt. Dale Strickland tells WXIA-TV someone started a Facebook page threatening to dress like a clown and drive a white van to five local schools and abduct children. He said police are working to track down the person who posted those threats.

It all comes after a series of reports of clowns lurking around children in other states. Authorities have determined some of those cases are unfounded. This month, police in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, arrested a man they say filed a false report of a clown sighting.