VSO Detectives, Corrections Officers Checking Sex Predators, Offenders on Halloween

Date Added: October 29, 2020 9:33 am

Laura Williams, Office of
Public Affairs & Media Relations

VSO, CORRECTIONS OFFICERS TO CHECK SEXUAL PREDATORS ON HALLOWEEN
Community Events Offer Safe Alternative to Trick-Or-Treating

Volusia Sheriff’s detectives are joining state Parole and Probation officers Saturday to make sure local sexual predators and offenders follow the rules during Halloween celebrations. 

This operation will begin Saturday afternoon and continue through the evening across the county to keep children safe on Halloween. Detectives from the Sheriff’s Office’s Career Criminal Unit and officers from the state Department of Corrections will conduct these checks and verify the probation status of sexual predators or sexual offenders.

Here are the probation conditions offenders must follow, according to state law (Florida Statutes 948.30):

(1) The sexual predator/offender may not participate in the holiday celebration by having lights on or decorations which attract or lure children to the home.

(2) The sexual predator/offender may not participate in the holiday celebration by wearing a costume.

(3) The sexual predator/offender may not participate in the holiday celebration by giving or handing out candy or toys.

However, sexual offenders and sexual predators who are not currently on probation, conditional release or house arrest may participate in the Halloween festivities, under state law. (F.S. section 943.0435 and section 775.21).

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, safe, social distancing Halloween events are also available. For a list of those events, go to our Facebook page: facebook.com/VolusiaSheriff/posts/3566289610076882

The Volusia Sheriff’s Office (VSO) encourages families participating in trick-or-treating to research your neighborhoods to locate known residences of sexual predators or offenders living nearby.

To find that information, go online to the VSO’s home page: volusiasheriff.org/resources; you’ll find a section called Sex Offenders where we link to national and state offender registries, as well as Volusia County sex offender and criminal registration information.