State Lawmaker: Keep Pokémon Go Away From Sex Offenders

ALBANY, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- New York state Sen. Jeff Klein (D-The Bronx/Westchester) wants to keep Pokémon Go out of the hands of high-level sex offenders.

As WCBS 880's Stephanie Colombini reported, Klein said sex offenders could use it as a tool to see where kids are meeting up.

"And we should not be giving them a virtual road map to their potential prey," Klein said.

Klein has introduced a bill that would ban certain sex offenders from playing Pokémon Go and similar games. He is also proposing to require game manufacturers to take steps to ensure virtual Pokémon creatures don't pop up near the homes of sexual offenders.

In the "augmented reality" game, players hunt for virtual characters using real-life maps and locations. The game also allows players to attract other users by offering so-called ``lures.''

Klein says the game is ``great'' for entertaining players, but it could be exploited by sexual predators looking for easy prey.

Other officials, including Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone, have also expressed worries that sex offenders could abuse Pokémon Go.

"The people who are the quickest to adapt to new trends in social media technology are criminals and predators," Bellone told CBS2's Jennifer McLogan earlier this month.

Bellone wants Pokémon developer Niantic to install e-stop technology, making it tougher for predators to sign on and demanding more checks and balances.