The Chatham County Sheriff's Office arrested a 62-year-old registered sex offender at an elementary school's truck-or-treat event.
The incident happened Thursday at Bennett Elementary School at 61 Randolph St. in Bennett, the Chatham County Sheriff's Office said.
Other WRAL Top Stories
Deputies recognized Mark Allen Knight at the event as a convicted sex offender who was banned from being on public school property.
After identifying Knight with the help of the Moore County Sheriff's Office, deputies arrested him.
“ Shocking. This is the first time anything like this has happened since I’ve been here,” Tiffani Bullock, a parent said.
Tiffany Bullock, who attended the event, is relieved that no children were harmed, but she can't stop thinking about the "what if" scenarios.
“If I didn’t know that he had been caught, I would’ve been devastated. Because I have girls and boys," she said. "This is ridiculous. He knew he should not have been up here.”
"Student safety remains a top priority, and we take the presence of prohibited individuals on school property seriously," Chatham County Sheriff Mike Roberson said. "Our deputies acted quickly to address the situation and protect everyone in attendance."
In a statement the school district says it will continue to work with the sheriffs office on future events, and the safety of families remains the top priority.
Brandi Brewer, a parent at Bennett, is grateful for the swift response from the school and the sheriff's office in handling the situation.
“It’s scary initially. Of course, anytime a child predator is around kids. But I’m very thankful for our community and that the issue was solved and taken care of swiftly," Brandi Brewer, a parent said. "Just Knowing that there is a safeness here in a community.”
Knight is charged with being a sex offender on child premises.
He was given an unsecured bond of $1,000 and is scheduled to appear in Chatham County District Court on Oct. 28.