AUBURN – For those on the state’s sex offender registry for committing crimes against children under 14, the laws are about to get more stringent.

Starting at the end of September, they will face misdemeanor charges for having any contact with a child younger than 14.

In addition, they won’t be allowed to visit a school, child care facility, athletic field, park, playground, recreational facility, children’s camp or “other place where children are the primary users.”

Auburn police, along with other departments statewide, are preparing enforcement measures.

Auburn police officials say they will work during the next couple of months to make sure all affected sex offenders are aware of the law.

Lt. Scott Watkins of the department’s Criminal Investigation Division said the new law will provide peace of mind to parents who may have a sex offender living in their neighborhood, and want to know how to protect their child.

Currently, these limitations come as part of an offenders’ probation, Watkins said. Once the probation expires, there is nothing keeping the offender from having contact with children despite the fact that they are lifetime registrants.

“We are 100 percent behind it (the new law),” Watkins said. “We want parents to know it is in effect.”

Police have a program where each neighborhood offender is assigned to an officer, who does routine checks.

These new laws will be integrated into these checks, Watkins said.

State Sen. Bill Diamond, D-Windham, was the primary sponsor of the law, which the Legislature approved on June 15.

Diamond said the law prevents both direct or indirect contact – an offender approaching a child, or sending them a message through another person or the Internet.

It does not prevent incidental encounters – such as standing behind a child in line at the movies or at a restaurant.

The Legislature’s Criminal Justice Committee will meet in September to discuss how the state can come into compliance with the federal Adam Walsh Act, passed this year. The act mandates more restrictions on sex offenders, but also establishes a tiered system to focus the registry on the more serious offenders, Diamond said.

The new Maine law applies retroactively to all on the registry. Watkins said he expects it will affect offenders.

“It will change the way they live their lives,” Watkins said. “They will have to be aware of their surroundings.”