Convicted sex offenders on probation will be checked Oct. 31 to ensure they are not participating in Halloween activities by teams of Rutherford County Sheriff’s deputies and state probation officers.

The teams will sweep from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. throughout Rutherford County checking on the sex offenders who are restricted as part of their probation from observing Halloween, said Rutherford County Sheriff’s Detective Patty Hillis , who monitors the sex offender registry. Sex offenders must observe a curfew from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. from Oct. 24 through Nov. 4.

“These are people who are on probation for their sex crime,” Detective Hillis said. “We encourage neighbors who are aware of a sex offender who lives in their neighborhood or see children go to the offender’s door for candy to notify the Sheriff’s Office immediately at 898-7770.”

Citizens may check the watchdog.com Web site or the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s Web site athttp://www.tbi.state.tn.us/sex_ofender_reg/sex_ofender_reg.shtml to check for sex offenders in their neighborhoods.

The Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office is preparing to launch a new Web site that pinpoints where sex offenders live in the county. Citizens may sign up for email notifications when a sex offender moves in their neighborhood.

During the sweep, probation officers from the Board of Probation and Parole, will knock on sex offenders’ doors and talk to the sex offender, Detective Hillis said. They will be accompanied by Detective Hillis and Detective Andrea Knox, who monitor sex offenders, and deputies from the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Warrants Division.

Sheriff Robert Arnold said the deputies will work overtime to provide extra security for children.

“We want to make sure we keep children safe from sexual predators in their neighborhoods while the children trick or treat,” Sheriff Arnold said.

Under Tennessee Department of Correction requirements by the Board of Probation and Parole, sex offenders on probation are not allowed to participate in Halloween events with or without their children. They are prohibited from:

• ·        Placing any Halloween decorations inside or outside their home.
• ·        Answering the door of any residence for trick-or-treaters Halloween night. 
•           Porch lights must be off and front doors closed.
• ·        Giving any Halloween treats to children from home or visiting anyone’s home where treats are handed out.
• ·        Wearing costumes.
• ·        Accompanying children to trick or treat.
• ·        Hosting a Halloween party at their home.
• ·        Attending corn mazes, haunted houses, hayrides or other seasonal activities.
• ·        Gathering with any children.

Any sex offender on probation who does any of the prohibited acts faces a violation of probation charge and may have to serve their sentence, the detective said.

Source: 

Lisa Marchesoni - Public information officer, Rutherford County Sheriff's Office