JEFFERSON COUNTY, Alabama - As if Halloween isn't creepy enough already, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office has issued a warning to remind trick or treaters to stay away from the real creeps.

The ghoulish truth is convicted sex offenders are out there, sheriff's officials said, and parents and children need to know where they are and avoid those homes when planning their routes.

"It's just the world we live in now,'' said Chief Deputy Randy Christian. "The truth is it has always been a safety issue, but back in the old days there was no sex offender registry available. Our children were just out there without a safety net."

"The fact that we know where they are now is very helpful in arming our parents with that information,'' Christian said, "so they can make safe, good , decisions about avoiding them and keeping our young people out of harm's way."

To find out if there are any sex offenders nearby, go to the sheriff's office website at www.jeffcosheriff.net and click on Sex Offenders. "What we want more than anything,'' Christian said, "is for all of our little ghost and goblins to have a safe and fun Halloween."

For more Halloween Safety Tips, go to http:www.halloween-safety.com.