amNewYork

amNewYork

Less than a week after police arrested a "high risk" sex offender for allegedly sexually abusing two young girls in a Queens Library, local politicians are urging state legislators to keep sex offenders away from children at city libraries.

Though sex offenders are banned from entering playgrounds, Public Advocate Bill de Blasio and Councilman Peter Vallone said the law does not keep them out of kids' reading rooms at libraries.

In a joint letter to Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos, the city pols urged the leaders of both houses to pass a law keeping offenders out of those specific areas, which they said "protects our children from the criminals who prey on them."

Spokesmen for Skelos and Silver said they would review the letters.

A spokeswoman for the New York Public Library, which has branches in Manhattan, the Bronx and Staten Island, said, "We support any measure that would keep our libraries as safe as possible for children."

Officials at Queens Library, which runs the Flushing location where cops say 49-year-old Joel Grubert touched two young girls last month, said they supported the law suggested by de Blasio and Vallone.

"We thank our legislators for doing all they can to preserve a secure environment for [children]," Queens Library President Thomas Galante said.

Newsday travel writer Scott Vogel took the ferry over to Block Island for a weekend of fun. Credit: Randee Daddona

Updated now Newsday travel writer Scott Vogel took the ferry over to Block Island for a weekend of fun.

Newsday travel writer Scott Vogel took the ferry over to Block Island for a weekend of fun. Credit: Randee Daddona

Updated now Newsday travel writer Scott Vogel took the ferry over to Block Island for a weekend of fun.

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