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Sex Offenders Banned From Playing Pokemon Go In New York

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Gov. Andrew Cuomo has directed state authorities to prevent nearly 3,000 registered sex offenders now on parole from playing Pokemon Go in an effort to safeguard children who play.

The Department of Corrections and Community Services is making that a condition of supervised release from state prison for all sex offenders.

The state says Monday that county probation offices should adopt the same policy.

Related: Pokemon Go Creators Working To Be 'Respectful' Of Reality

Cuomo has also sent a letter to software developer Niantic Inc. requesting help prohibiting sexual predators from playing the online game, where players roam through the physical world searching for virtual Pokemon creatures that appear when they go to certain locations.

State Sen. Jeff Klein, a Bronx Democrat who raised similar concerns last week, says New York already prohibits high-level offenders from using social media.

Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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