A man from Wake Forest has been banned from all parks operated by the town.

Carlton Wood is a registered sex offender in Tennessee. However, because Wood was convicted more than 20 years ago in a different state, he does not have to register as a sex offender in North Carolina.

“I'm concerned. I would prefer to see people like that be registered in every city and state,” said Byron Chamblis, a parent at a Wake Forest park.

According to Wake Forest Police, Wood was convicted in 1987 for indecent liberties with a child. But he has no current warrants.

“That doesn't make a lot of sense to me; I mean a sex offender in one state is still, as far as I'm concerned, he's a sex offender, so when you cross the state line you're no longer a sex offender?” Chamblis said.

One local parent said that she knows Carlton Wood.

“When we first met him, I can tell you that one of the things that we did tell our girls is that we don't want you to be left alone,” Mitzi Bissette said.

Police say he has asked parents if he could push their children on the swings that that made them concerned. However, Bissette said she is not afraid of Wood.

“His nickname is Buddy, and he has been at our house, he's been at our back yard, he's sat with us at our picnic table, we have taken him places that he needs to go,” Bissette said.

So the parents we talked to are split about the decision to ban him from the town’s parks.

Chamblis said he is glad the town stepped up and told Wood not to come back to the parks. Bissette is not as sure.

“I would hate for somebody to judge me on one aspect of my character that happened 22 years ago,” Bissette said.

The ban imposed on Carlton Wood means if he is caught in a Wake Forest town park, he will be arrested and charged with trespassing.