Sex offenders in many areas across the United States are required to follow special rules this Halloween. Most rules involve either a mandatory curfew or the requirement to be at a certain location this evening.

"Our agents will be out in force, checking on sex offenders, to ensure that they stay behind locked doors, in dark houses, with absolutely no contact with 'trick-or-treaters' on Halloween night," said Tom Hoffman, California Department of Correction and Rehabilitation director of parole, as quoted by CNN.

Basically, all sex offenders in are required to avoid any interaction with children in the affected area. However, not all counties or states have adopted such drastic measures. In California, paroled sex offenders have been hit with a 5 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew. Also, they cannot leave any outside lights on and may not answer their doors except for law enforcement. Illinois offenders face similar restrictions, including a ban on dressing in a costume.

Some have blasted the measures as apparently there have been no known cases of children being molested by convicted sex offenders while trick-or-treating. Either way, law enforcement officers punished offenders who had candy dishes or Halloween decorations at their homes.

"Their homes must look like there's literally no one at home," said Bill Sessa, spokesman for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. "Sex offenders must comply with the longest list of special conditions of parole out of any group that we have," said Sessa, quoted by SJMN. "It's not new."

Either way, some state attorneys have joined in the criticism of the special Halloween rules. Idaho defense attorney Tim Gresback told the Spokesman-Review that in 20 years he'd never run across a case of a sex offender attacking a child on Halloween. His statements were backed by Alaska probation officer Rebecca Brunger, who told Anchorage Daily that in Alaska, too, there's never been a case there of a trick-or-treater being molested by a registered offender.