New York bars sex offenders from playing Pokemon Go amid fears they could lure children into paedo lairs
The directive will impact more than 3,000 fiends currently on parole in the state
LAW makers in the US are to ban sex offenders from playing Pokémon GO over fears they could target vulnerable youngsters.
New York state Governor Andrew Cuomo has directed his prison and probation teams to stop sex offenders playing the hit handheld game.
He also sent a letter to the game's software developer Niantic, Inc. asking it to find ways to prohibit sex offenders from playing Pokémon GO.
“Protecting New York’s children is priority number one and, as technology evolves, we must ensure these advances don't become new avenues for dangerous predators to prey on new victims," Cuomo said.
On Friday, state Senator Jeff Klein said he also wanted to introduce legislation to curb the use of the game by sexual predators.
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The concern is that the reality game can be used to lure players towards sex-offenders residences.
Cuomo's order calls for the state corrections agency to install a new parole condition for sex offenders to prohibit them "downloading, accessing, or otherwise engaging in any Internet enabled gaming activities, including Pokémon GO."
The directive will impact about 3,000 Level 1, 2 and 3 sex offenders currently on parole, Cuomo's office said.
The state will also offer similar guidance to county probation offices, asking them to also adopt the policy.
"Pokémon GO provided sex offenders with a virtual road map to our children," Klein, who represents parts of lower Westchester County, said in a statement.
"We know that paedophiles always seek new ways to lure victims and this new technology that entertains our kids, could also bring them close to dangerous individuals instead of Pokémon."
The state Division of Criminal Justice Services also plans to work with Apple and Google on how to improve user safety.