'No Trick-or-Treat' Warning Signs Posted At Sex Offenders' Homes

BUTTS COUNTY, GA -- Sheriff Gary Long has placed signs in front of the homes of registered sex offenders in the county, warning children and parents not to go trick-or-treating this Halloween at those locations. The signs say "WARNING! NO TRICK-OR-TREAT AT THIS ADDRESS!! A COMMUNITY SAFETY MESSAGE FROM SHERIFF GARY LONG." Long posted an image of the signs to the department's Facebook account, along with this message:

"As Sheriff, there is nothing more important to me than the safety of your children. This Halloween, my office has placed signs in front of every registered sex offender's house to notify the public that it's a house to avoid. Georgia law forbids registered sex offenders from participating in Halloween, to include decorations on their property. With the Halloween on the square not taking place this year, I fully expect the neighborhoods to be very active with children trick-or-treating. Make sure to avoid houses which are marked with the attached posted signs in front of their residents. I hope you and your children have a safe and enjoyable Halloween."

The Georgia Sex Offender Registry is maintained by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and is designed to make it simple for parents across the state to protect their kids from dangers that may lurk in their neighborhoods or nearby. The database contains the names, offenses and last known addresses of the state's registered sexual offenders and predators.

The below map lists the number Georgia Sex Offenders By County. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation reports the number of out-of-state offenders is 6,759 and incarcerated offenders is 4,603, for a total of 31, 480 sex offenders. Incarcerated offenders have been removed from each counties' total.

The GBI notes that it serves as the central "repository" for the state's Violent Sexual Offender Registry. However, readers should note the GBI makes every effort to ensure that the information online and provided below is "accurate."

You can learn more about the statewide registry by clicking here. As you embark on your own investigation, you should keep in mind that the information unearthed on the state database should be used for informative and safety purposes only. The GBI notes that the misuse of these details to threaten, harass or intimidate someone could lead to criminal charges.

You may want to avoid trick or treating at these houses and apartments on Halloween, or merely be aware of who's living in your neighborhood during the rest of the year.

Law enforcement officials and researchers caution that the registries can play only a limited role in preventing child sexual abuse and stress that most perpetrators are known to the child. The U.S. Department of Justice, which oversees the National Sex Offender Public Website, estimates that only about 10 percent of perpetrators of child sexual abuse are strangers to the child.

The Justice Department estimates 60 percent of perpetrators are known to the child but are not family members but rather family friends, babysitters, child care providers and others, and 30 percent of child victims are abused by family members. Nearly a quarter of the abusers are under the age of 18, the department estimates.

Patch Editor Kristal Dixon contributed to this reporting.

See Also:

• Decatur Halloween Sex Offender Safety Map
• Brookhaven Halloween Sex Offender Safety Map
• Dunwoody Halloween Sex Offender Safety Map
• DeKalb County 2018 Halloween Sex Offender Safety Map
• Atlanta 2018 Halloween Sex Offender Safety Map
  
• Cobb County 2018 Halloween Sex Offender Safety Map

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