ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — 9 Investigates has been monitoring yard sales in the Apopka area held by a group that includes several registered sex offenders.
Gloria Hoffapuir and her mother run the Lighthouse Mission. They said gathering community support through donations is tough and so that is why they've had yard sales for years.
"I let (shoppers) know that we are having this yard sale to help support this mission and help the sex offenders who have nowhere else to go," Hoffapuir said.
Channel 9's Janine Reyes learned that all but three of the 26 sex offenders at the mission were convicted of crimes against children.
Hoffapuir said they made sure yard-sale shoppers knew their mission, and whose yard they were in.
Photos: Yard sales at at mission that helps sex offenders
But some of those who spoke with Reyes said they've shopped at the yard sale before and had no idea about the association with sexual offenders.
"Should sex offenders be selling items to children?" Reyes asked Hoffapuir.
"Sex offenders aren't selling. They're out here moving furniture," Hoffapuir said.
Hoffapuir said the sex offenders at her mission aren't a threat.
"All these guys who are here, you think they're just victims of circumstantial conditions?" Reyes asked.
"Yes," Hoffapuir said.
"Every last one of them?" Reyes asked.
"People get drunk, people do drugs when they're younger," Hoffapuir said.
Neighbor Stephen Vasquez said he believes many of the items being sold, including children games and toys, attract kids to the yard sale.
"It's just mind blowing to know there's that many offenders is that one area," Vasquez said.
Having sex offenders close to items for sale that appeal to families with children has many residents of the neighborhood upset.
County code states it is a violation to have garage sales more than once every six months. So Hoffapuir has been forced to cut back on the number of sales she holds.
She said their next sale will be at Christmas.
Some neighbors said they plan to keep their children way from the sale. .
"I just don't want kids to be around the violators, you know," Vasquez said.
Having the sex offenders work at the yard sales isn't a violation, as long as they don't dress up as Santa Claus or hand out Halloween candy.