Child safety was the focus of state parole officers who were checking on sex offenders Friday night to make sure they were following curfew and not participating in any Halloween activities.
"We're looking at the population that's the sex offenders that are on parole," said Chief Parole Officer Jimi Williams. The officers allowed a camera crew to join them on a ride Friday night as they checked on paroled sex offenders in the area.
They were making sure the offenders obey the curfew and other requirements of their supervision.
"It's dusk till dawn curfew," Williams said.
Sex offenders had to keep the lights off and weren't allowed any to display Halloween decorations or anything else that could draw trick-or-treaters to their homes.
The first man they visited was convicted of statutory rape, according to officers. Williams talked to him as other officers went to work inside his home.
"We will then start looking through the residence, conducting a search making sure there are no pictures of minors," Williams said.
The next man officers checked on was convicted of kidnapping. Officers said he served 29 years in prison after carjacking someone who had a child in the car.
"I learned from it so… I never will do nothing to go back," the man said.
At another house, officers checked on a convicted child molester.
The man told officers that he was alone and they would find no violations inside. They reminded him not to open the door as kids in costume look for candy at other homes nearby.
"We want to make the streets safe and give parents one less thing to worry about going to the wrong house," Williams said.
Officers said they start reminding offenders and sending out notices about the rules on Halloween a couple of months in advance.
In total, the officers checked on 13 offenders in Clayton County Friday night and found all of them to be in compliance.
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