CLEVELAND COUNTY, N.C. -- According to the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office, there are around 300 registered sex offenders living in the county.

• About 300 registered sex offenders live in the county
• The sheriff says that number is high for the area's population
• Residents say updates about registered sex offenders in the area are not helpful

Sheriff Alan Norman says that number is high considering the county’s population. Recently, on their Facebook page, the sheriff's office has been posting sex offender updates.

“Any new registers here in Cleveland County that are ordered on the registry, or if you move into Cleveland County, or if you change mailing addresses in Cleveland county, you're put on the sheriff's office Facebook page,” he said.

While they've garnered some “likes,” not everyone is giving the effort a thumbs up.

Vicki Henry is president of Women Against Registry. The group was mentioned by a Facebook user opposing the new posts.

“I think it’s irresponsible,” she said. “There is so much empirical research, so much evidence that shows that a registry does not protect the public [and] does not keep the people safe.”

Henry says instead, those on the registry end up becoming targets. She says it puts families in danger and children get ridiculed at school.

“Just the other day a registrant was murdered,” she said. “Because it says, ‘here, these are the people you need to worry about,’ and that’s not true.”

Sheriff Norman says it’s the department’s responsibility to inform the public by reaching people who may not visit the website to stay informed, and says he’s going to continue the posts.