Hundreds of registered sex offenders in one North Texas community will be forced to leave their homes Halloween night to attend a mandatory counseling session.

For nine years now, Parker County has required all registered sex offenders who live in the county to attend the "Halloween Lock-In" counseling session on Halloween night. If they skip the session, they could be found in violation of their parole.

The sex offenders must meet at a secret location -- known only to them -- for a check-in and counseling session. The event will be from 6 p.m. until 10 p.m., when trick-or-treaters are most active.

There are 279 registered sex offenders in Parker County, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety registry.

Probation officers said the event gets positive reviews from parents and even some sex offenders.