Reston 2016 Halloween Sex Offender Registry

RESTON, VA — Before kids go out trick-or-treating on Halloween, Fall is a good time to take inventory of who is living in your neighborhood.

A total of 41 registered sex offenders are listed on the Virginia Sex Offender Registry who live in Reston. Each offender's photo is shown, along with an address, employer, what crime they were convicted of and other information.

Parents and guardians are encouraged to visit the registry to identify the relevant addresses of convicted sex offenders in order to make informed decisions on what residences/businesses to approach for trick-or-treating, according to the Virginia State Police (VSP).

Some sex offenders are barred from participating in trick-or-treating activities, depending on whether they are on supervision, VSP say.

If the convicted sex offender is on supervision – which means restrictions have been placed on them as they relate to probation/parole and not state law – then they may not be permitted to participate in trick-or-treat activities. Their porch lights must be turned off and and they not permitted to open the door to trick-or-treaters. This restriction only applies if that offender’s conditions of probation/parole prohibit contact with children.

If the convicted sex offender is not on supervision, then they are entitled to participate in trick-or-treat and other Halloween activities. This applies to convicted sex offenders featured on the Virginia Sex Offender Registry. The only exceptions relate to Code of Virginia 18.2-370.5, which restricts an offender’s access to school property, according to VSP.

Here's how to find a map of sex offenders in Reston. First, visit the Virginia State Police's sex offender registry, which can be found here. Then, click on "search the sex offender registry" on the menu on the left side of the screen. This will take you to a disclaimer, which you must agree to by clicking "accept" after entering the text within the box.

The next screen allows you to search by zip code, address or city. Click on "city" and start typing "Reston," and click on Reston when it pops up in autocomplete. Click "search."

This will bring up a list of Reston offenders. Click on the "map view" icon in the top right, and all of their locations will be shown on a map of Reston. Click on the "home" radio button in the top right to limit the locations on the map to sex offenders' home addresses.

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.

Additional reporting by Sharon Reed

Top image: Patch graphic
Map screenshot via Virginia State Police and Google Maps