(RALEIGH) -- The State Department of Justice launched a new smart phone app on January 31 that pinpoints registered sex offenders. Attorney General Roy Cooper said it became quite popular rather quickly.

"We've gotten over 18,000 downloads just during the first couple of weeks with this new sex offender app, so obviously it is something that people want and we hope that they'll be able to use it to help protect their families," said Cooper.

The free app is for the I-Phone or I-pad. Cooper said his office is continuing to develop the app for the Android and other platforms.

The app can pinpoint the location of a registered sex offender within a one, three or five mile radius of a particular address or a user's current location. It also gives users a picture, description and the criminal record of an offender.

(Thanks to: WSJS)