I'm not usually an overprotective mom and for the most part feel very safe living in Moore County. However, I had a conversation with a friend the other day and was once again reminded that even the safest communities have hidden dangers.

My friend had taken her children to the Sandhills Optimist Field a few weeks ago for a sporting event. As she was talking to a friend as they were walking to the field, she realized that her older child (9 yrs old) had fallen back. According to her, her mom radar told her something was wrong and she turned around.

What she saw almost stopped her heart. You see, a man was talking to her child and offering her candy as he led her between two cars. My friend immediately started running to her daughter and yelling at the man to leave her alone. Once he saw her coming, he took off running through the cars. She never got a good look at him.

Her daughter stood their confused and dumbfounded. She had no idea what the commotion was about or what she had done wrong. Even thought my friend's husband is a police officer and they have had many discussions about the danger of talking to strangers with their children, this man had made her daughter feel safe enough that not only did she speak to him but she accepted candy and started to follow him.

For me it was a reminder that even though we live in a great community as parents we need to always keep an eye on our children. My friend had only turned away for a moment and that is almost what it took for her daughter to be taken.

There are currently 21 registered sex offenders in our area. To find out if one lives near you go to www.familywatchdog.us where you can search by street address, town, state or zip.