Here’s one trick to keep kids safe on Halloween.
Westchester County probation officials are ordering more than 100 sex offenders to attend a sex abuse education class on Halloween night — guaranteeing they won’t come near young trick or treaters.
Registered sex offenders as well as defendants on probation for sex crimes are required to report to the Westchester County Courthouse in White Plains from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday, while youngsters are out on the streets filling up their bags with candy, county officials said.
It’s the 19th time probation officials have kept sex offenders off the streets on Halloween.
“This program is designed to educate offenders and raise awareness about the impact of their actions,” the department said in a release. “The offenders will hear compelling accounts of devastation on children and adult victims, and gain insight into how those acts can reverberate through a victim’s life.”
County probation officers will be sent out to hunt down any offenders who blow off the session, and those who attend will be driven home after the class so they don’t use public transportation.
While at the courthouse, participants will hear presentations from experts, including lawyer Annie Seifullah, whose firm specializes in sex abuse cases, and author and speaker Wiley K. March, who founded the survivor-based organization, Tiamberus Network.
Spanish-speaking experts will offer training for offenders who do not speak English.
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