SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - Polk County Sheriff’s deputies arrested 14 registered sex offenders for compliance violations in the weeks before Halloween, the sheriff’s office said Wednesday.

Sexual offenders/predators on probation are supervised by the Florida Department of Corrections, and cannot engage in Halloween activities such as having contact with children, distributing candy/treats, or having Halloween decorations.

The operation was aimed at ensuring compliance with Florida law for convicted sex offenders and sex predators.

According to the sheriff’s office, there are 1,431 sexual offenders registered in Polk County, with 158 classified as sexual predators. Local law enforcement checks each person on those lists four times a year.

During the weeks leading up to Halloween, 140 offen

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