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New York Bans Sex Offenders from Playing Pokémon Go

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New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has ordered state authorities to ban sex offenders from playing the new hit game "Pokémon Go" to keep them away from children.

That move comes after numerous news reports revealed the game draws players near sex offenders' homes a high percentage of the time, though there's no official evidence that sex offenders are using the app to entice children.

Still, the Pokémon Go phenomenon has been a mixed bag. 

Some churches are excited to be a PokeStop, saying they've used the game to lead people to Christ.

"We did it as a way to build relationships, to make connections with the community, build bridges with people," Kendrick Vinar of Grace Church in North Carolina told CBN News. "It seemed like a win in that regard."

The Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary said six people gave their lives to Christ after attending a "lure party."

According the seminary, conversation started about the game, turned to college and the future and finally led to the deeper conversation of a future in Christ.

Libraries are also getting in on the fun, using the game to bait players and even stocking shelves with books dedicated to the Pokémon craze.

Conversely, Pokémon Go has had its share of bad press. A Baltimore driver slammed into a parked police car while playing the game. A Pittsburgh teen was hit by a car and hospitalized after crossing a busy highway while playing the game.

The Pokémon GO app allows users to capture virtual characters by tracking them to places in the real world.

Advocates for the game say unlike traditional video games, Pokémon Go entices players to engage in physical activity.

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