Q: I received a notice from the police that a sex offender moved to our neighborhood. He was convicted of first-degree molestation.

The victims were 7- and 9-year-old girls. He also was convicted of communication with minors for immoral purposes and for exposing himself to those same victims and to other children. My 9-year-old son walks home from school with friends and also rides his bike in the area. How do I make him aware of this person without letting him know the details that sent the offender to jail?

A: If your son were under age 8, your only option would be for you to take on the full responsibility of keeping your son safe from this man. Earlier than that, no matter how parents warn children, it's been proved time after time that a predator giving candy or kittens can lure children 7 years old and younger into danger. That's why parents need to keep their children under age 8 no farther away from adult protection than a purse, backpack or briefcase.

Children between the ages of 8 and 10 begin to understand that a person who appears nice outwardly can have hurtful intentions. They realize the importance of being cautious of people they don't know. Even so, when children over age 8 travel the neighborhood without adult supervision, they should do so only in the company of two or more friends.

So here you have a child already enjoying a few safe adventures with his buddies. But since this man has moved into your neighborhood, you may need to revoke these privileges and reinstate protection appropriate for younger children.

Additionally, although your 9-year-old likely knows that there are people in the world who do bad things, it's difficult when he realizes one of those people lives in your neighborhood and that his bad acts were against children.

Although you'd like to protect his childhood innocence, you'll probably need to shatter it — but as gently as possible. First tell him that while most people in the community care about children and would help them out in any situation, a few people hurt children. At first they seem nice but then turn mean, bad or hurtful.

Now because this man lives in your neighborhood, you'll need to go on to say that a man who was in prison lives nearby. Point this man out to your son and tell him to stay away from him. Some children will accept this information and follow parents' directions for steering clear of the person in question. Other children won't let the issue rest. If this is the case, you'll need to explain the situation further because if you don't, your child will find someone else to offer the information he's seeking. You want him to get his information from you. How a conversation might go:

Child: Why was he sent to prison? What did he do?

Parent: He hurt two children.

Child: What did he do to them?

Parent: He touched them inappropriately.

Child: Did he hit them?

Parent: No, he touched them close to where they go to the bathroom. That's not OK; it's a crime.

Child: Why did he do that?

Parent: There are just some things you won't understand until you're older, and this is one of them. I don't completely understand it myself.

Even with this explanation and warning, you might need to see that an adult escorts your son and his friends home from school, and you may need to keep him from roaming the neighborhood on his bicycle.

In days past, a parent might equip the child with a whistle to blow if the man approached — today the answer might be a cellphone.

Jan Faull, a specialist in child development and behavior, answers questions of general interest in her column. You can e-mail her at janfaull@aol.com or write to:

Jan Faull, c/o Families, The Seattle Times, P.O. Box 70, Seattle,

WA 98111. More columns at www.seattletimes.com/columnists