https://wgme.com/news/i-team/i-team-pedophiles-may-be-handing-out-candy-to-maine-trick-or-treaters

It’s Halloween, you’re out trick or treating and decide to take a picture. You see someone sent you a text, you go to respond and tell your child it’s ok to knock on the next door while you stand back. It’s a sex offender and your child is face to face and now alone with them. But how would you know? We’ve been giving the “go ahead” long before cell phones were even invented. Most of us assume this couldn’t happen because sex offenders are prohibited from engaging with children or teens and partaking in their activities. However, Halloween is not considered one of those situations and there isn’t anything banning sex offenders from inviting families and children to their door step to trick or treat. 

In October of 2017, The CBS 13 I-team discovered a loophole that allows Sexual predators to have contact and engage with children while passing out Halloween candy to children. (Video of the news story is provided by clicking the link on top of this page) The one night that the streets are filled with children excited to fill their bags as much as possible, there are predators waiting. We may be doing the thing we try so hard to avoid the most, putting our children in dangerous situations and not even know it. We have the right to know what our children and groups of non supervised teen trick or treaters are facing and since nothing is being enforced, there is no way for us to know for sure.

There are currently 10 states that enforce a “no candy” law restricting registered sex offenders from attending and taking part in Halloween traditions loved by people of all ages. The law has been running successfully without any issues for those states on both sides.

Restrictions of this proposed bill will enforce the same laws that other states have prohibiting sex offenders from attending special Halloween events like corn mazes and haunted houses, handing out treats, displaying Halloween decorations, accompanying trick-or-treating children or wearing costumes and requiring them to avoid all Halloween-related contact with children and remain at their registered home address from 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., unless they are required to work that evening.
Regardless of whether they are at work, offenders must extinguish all outside residential lighting and post a sign stating, "No candy or treats at this residence".
This will apply to all sex offenders on or relieved of probation or parole and not specifically to those offenders whose crimes involved minors. The penalty for "passing out candy", or violating some other act specifically prohibited in the law, might include a felony charge punishable by up to three in prison.

We deserve the right to know if we are putting our children in a unsafe situation, the state of Maine should be protecting the children not the predator.
This one small change can make a big difference.

Please sign and share this petition keeping children, teens and adults safe every Halloween! 

According to mecasa.org Maine statistics show that
* About 64% of sexual assault victims in the state of Maine are under 18
* One in five Mainers will experience sexual assault at some point in their lifetime.
* Each year, 14,000 Mainers will experience sexual violence.
* In 2015, approximately 50% of calls to Maine’s sexual assault crisis and support line related to child sexual abuse