WASHINGTON, Oct. 31 (UPI) -- Convicted sex offenders are required by some U.S. cities and states to post "No Candy Here" signs on Halloween, officials say.
Maryland, Indiana, Illinois, Louisiana and some other states, as well as dozens of cities, towns, and counties, have imposed the restrictions on sex offenders in a bid to warn trick-or-treaters against possible molesters, The Christian Science Monitor reported online Saturday.
"There's a lot of fake monsters running around on Halloween, but there are some real ones, too," Georgia state Rep. Rob Teilhet, who is running for attorney general, told the Monitor, calling Halloween "a unique time period of vulnerability" for children.
Some authorities also require that sex offenders not wear costumes or answer the door on Halloween. But some, even child welfare advocates, say the moves smack of political opportunism.
"We don't have evidence of higher incidence of sexual offenses against children on Halloween than other times," Ernie Allen, president of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, told the newspaper. "And because there are offenders who don't have prior history, it's important that communities don't feel a sense of security because sex offenders are required to stay in the house with the porch lights off."
