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What proud parent doesn’t love to show off their kids accomplishments?

That’s why window decals and yard signs that boast everything from soccer balls and tennis racquets to trombones and pom-poms are so increasingly popular in North Texas.

But police and child advocacy groups are warning that names placed on those innocent looking signs could present big trouble.

Drive down almost any street in Texas and you’re likely to see one of these: A symbol of pride for parents and their kids who are involved in sports or other school activities.  

But those signs could be giving child predators a little too much information about your kids. 

To illustrate how easy it would be for a sex offender to gain information about your children, we jotted down a few license plate numbers from cars that have window stickers. When we got to their homes, we found yard signs.

One window sticker and plate number led WFAA-TV to Julie McCready’s house. When she answered the door, we told her how we found her and what we knew about her daughters, including their age, their school, their activities and in one girl’s case, her position on the drill team.   

“I’m surprised that you could get that information just based on the decals on the car with first names, and that you’re able to easily, within an hour, come to my house,” said parent Julie McCready.

The Plano mother who was troubled by the visit is considering making changes.

“It will make me think about having the decals on my car, as well as my daughter who’s driving who has a decal on her car,” McCready said.

“Times have changed and there are offenders out there who are trying to get the identity of children,” Collin County Children’s Advocacy Center spokesman Dan Powers said.

Powers has spent 18 years counseling young victims of sexual abuse and those who abuse them. 

Some of those child predators described to powers how they would drive through neighborhoods, looking for children.   

“They may see a child walking down your street and say, ‘Hey Bobby,’ because Bobby’s name is on the back of the car with a soccer ball,” Powers said.

Powers drove through Plano neighborhoods to describe what sex offenders may be looking for.

“Depending on the age of the child, I could say, ‘Hey Meagan, I’m here to take you to softball practice,’” Powers said. “Your mom told me to come get you and take you to practice. They’re having a special practice today.”

Powers said parents can still show pride for their kids but not with signs or decals that include any names. He said the ultimate prevention is keeping a keen eye.

“There is no substitute for supervision of your children and making sure you know where they are and who’s around them at all times,” he said.