Halloween sex offender laws tested in Inland Empire

Several new ordinances take effect tonight throughout the Inland Empire. They’re designed to block registered sex offenders from interacting with Halloween trick-or-treaters.

Temecula and Hemet are the latest cities to pass laws that forbid sex offenders from passing out candy to trick-or-treaters, or doing anything to entice kids to their front doors. San Jacinto and Orange adopted similar restrictions last year.

Riverside County passed its own ordinance earlier this month. It bars more than 4,000 sex crime registrants from a host of Halloween rituals. That includes a requirement to dim exterior ornamental lights at sunset. Supervisor Jeff Stone told KPCC earlier this month that he’s also asking parents to check out the state’s online sex offender registry known as “Megan’s List.”

“We also ask our public to go on the Megan’s website and look and see where they are going to be trick-or-treating with their kids to insure they know where sexual registrants live, and if they see lights on to please call 911 and we’ll get an officer out there and they will have their probation or parole violated and they’ll go back to jail with a thousand dollar fine," Stone said.

County sheriff’s deputies will pay visits to many registered sex offenders, especially those convicted of assaulting children. State parole officers helped the county under the state Department of Corrections“Operation Boo” program. The uptick in enforcement coincides with national crime statistics that indicate no increase of assaults on kids by convicted sex offenders on Halloween.