CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) - Monday, North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper unveiled a new tool for tracking registered sex offenders.
A mobile app is now available for Apple products, with an Android version coming soon.
"Right here in your hand you can track and find out information about any sex offender in North Carolina," said Cooper.
The app uses the GPS on your phone or iPad to show you every registered sex offender within a five mile radius of where you are. In addition to viewing addresses of sex offenders, app users can also view mug shots and see the specific crimes each offender was convicted of doing.
"Parents have a lot to worry about with kids now, and it's important that we use the technology that's out there to make sure parents are armed with everything they need to protect their children," said Cooper.
"I think I could use the app," said mom Kirby Fish. "I think it's become really easy to download apps, and there are a lot of good ones out there. It sounds like that one, as a parent, would be useful to have."
Some parents say it could be a little alarming to see how many sex offenders are in the immediate vicinity, but most said they'd prefer the knowledge over ignorance.
"You'd rather know about it and feel kind of icky about who's around than not know about it," said dad Chris Minatel.
Click here to get the app or search for "NCSOR" on your Apple mobile device.
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