Pokemon Go has location at sex offender residence
PHOENIX (KSAZ) - It's a game that has everyone talking, and everyone playing, even adults.
Pokemon Go has become an overnight phenomenon, and while it's meant to be all fun and games, it has put some players in danger. The game which mixes fantasy with reality gets people out and about, looking for and capturing Pokemon characters and other prizes using their phones.
But since the game's release, it's been linked to robberies and the discovery of a dead body. Now there is a new risk closer to home which could have unsuspecting players walking right into what could be a dangerous situation. One of the locations is a hotel turned halfway house for dozens of registered sex offenders.
One of the beacons used in the game is the New Windsor Hotel. It's on the list of historic places which is why it may be on the Pokemon Go app. But when you search Arizona's DPS Sex Offender Registry, you'll see 546 W Adams Street is home to 43 registered sex offenders.
That was news to one Pokemon Go player, Kyle Costello.
"It's a little bit concerning, but when you're walking around you don't have to be there, you only have to be like 100 feet to get the rewards from the location," said Costello.
It's a good reminder for parents with kids playing the game to find out where exactly they're going.
"Look at it as you would Halloween and trick or treating. Just make sure that if you have young children that you're the chaperon. That you accompany them," said Daphne Young.
Young is with Childhelp Children's Center of Arizona. She says it's a good idea to keep location tracking on your kids' phones when they're out searching for Pokemon.
"You know follow their progress. If they're a little bit older, and you can log on and figure out where they are, it helps you have a peace of mind while they still enjoy the innocence of childhood, and have a great time," said Young.
Young also said if you have teens or kids playing the game, it's not a bad idea to find out what areas they will be in, and then do a search on the DPS Sex Offender Registry website just in case.