Sex offenders banned from Halloween activities

Trick-or-treating has been a rite of passage for children and their parents across America for generations, and Halloween continues to be a favorite holiday for many. After all, when else can one legally dress up and walk around the streets demanding sweets from strangers by using threats of trickery?

This law makes it illegal for registered sex offenders to leave their outdoor lights on during the evening of Oct. 31 or decorate their homes for Halloween. Registered sex offenders are also required to post a visible note on their front doors stating that there is no candy being handed out at that particular residence.

Others believe that those who are currently registered aren’t the people parents and children need to worry about, since by all accounts these individuals are attempting to assimilate back into society as law-abiding citizens by following procedure in the first place. The real threat, they say, comes from members of society who have yet to be caught for their sexual crimes against children, and who continue to have access to kids on a regular basis.

The most common criticism of the "No Candy" laws has been that government is wielding too much power by excluding offenders from celebrating a certain holiday and forcing them to put notices on their doors.

Of course, it also could be argued that children who are being closely monitored by their parents while trick-or-treating aren’t in any danger of being sexually assaulted in the first place. But those in favor of the laws see Halloween as a free-for-all.

Read More: http://www.ocregister.com/articles/trick-373972-sex-treat.html

The latest city to approve Halloween restrictions on sex offenders, as listed on the Megan’s Law website: http://www.meganslaw.ca.gov/