Sex offenders to attend session on Halloween

Sex offenders will be placed under increased surveillance, as they have for the past 10 years, during Bloomington’s official trick-or-treating hours next Monday.

Between the hours of 5:30 and 8:30 p.m., sex offenders in Monroe County will be required to either attend a mandatory meeting in the Monroe County Justice Building or agree to random house visits and phone calls from probation officers.

Sex offenders that stay at home will be prohibited from distributing candy. They have also been strongly advised to turn off all outside lights and not put Halloween decorations in their yard during the trick-or-treating hours.

Many will also post signs to advise trick-or-treaters that they are not
participating in passing out candy.

“The Probation Department is pleased to be partnering again with the local parole office to monitor convicted sex offenders more closely on Halloween night to promote community safety,” Chief Probation Officer Linda Brady said in a press release.

Sex offenders who do not report to the mandatory meeting and who have not arranged to stay at home with increased house visits and phone calls during the trick-or-treating hours will be visited at home.


If they have a valid employment or medical excuse, they will have to show proof of that to probation officers. Failure to do so may constitute a violation of probation agreement.

“Attendance at this special session is not meant to be punishment,” Brady said. “It is a meeting to promote a safer community. As has been our custom, we will be showing a movie to the group.”

Monroe County Parole Officer Ken Bugler said the meeting is an opportunity for the sex offenders to be more closely monitored for an evening.

“We have been doing this for the past 10 years and believe it has been a great
success,” Bugler said.

— Zach Ammerman