With Halloween near, Clay County warns parents of sexual predators

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. — Halloween is only 9 days away, and that means kids will soon be flocking door to door trick or treating.

Action News Jax investigates found out Clay County  is the only local county that doesn’t require sex offenders and predators to identify their homes during Halloween.

Action News Jax did speak with the sheriff’s office and found that they want to make changes to help warn parents, but it won’t happen this year.

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They are meeting with county officials and the county attorney to see what can be done.

Duval, St. Johns, and Nassau counties require all sex offenders to post a picture stating no trick or treating at their home, so you know there’s a sex offender or predator that lives there.

Sara Nuncio is a mother of two and Halloween is a holiday that her 4-year-old daughter and 6-year-old son look forward to each year.

“She’s a princess and this guy’s a Lego knight,” Nuncio said.

After living in Orange Park for a year and a half, she’s just now finding out that there’s no ordinance in place to warn people that there are sex offenders in the neighborhood where your children could be trick or treating.

The Clay County Sheriff’s Office says there’s nothing that can prevent a sex offender from passing out candy or participating in Halloween activities, unless they’re on probation.

In that case, a deputy would check up on that home during Halloween.

The sheriff’s office recommends using FDLE’s sexual offenders and predators search page.

“You can look and see, type in an address and it’ll give you varying distances within a quarter mile, mile or whatever distance you want to put in and it’ll give you all the sex offenders in that area,” said Sgt. Chris Garrison, who is with the Clay County Sheriff’s Office.

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Nuncio said after learning there’s no ordinance, she’s going to keep her kids a little closer this year on Halloween.

She  even decided that they would go trick or treating at a retirement community nearby.

“I think it’s just better than going to each individuals' house and knocking on the door,” Nuncio said.

For more information on how to find out if a sex offender lives in your neighborhood, click HERE.

Cox Media Group