CARY, N.C. — Cary's MacArthur Park is lined with well-maintained affluent homes. Police say inside two of the homes, just a few streets apart, lived two sex offenders.

In January, former SAS employee

Brian Schellenberger

pleaded guilty to federal charges of producing and distributing child pornography. Less than a half-mile away,

Daniel Hackney

was arrested and faces child porn charges of taking sexually explicit pictures of an 8-year-old girl.

After an investigation, Cary police determined, aside from the locations, there was no connection between the cases.

Christina Brochin, a MacArthur Park mother of three, said tense discussion of the cases quietly circulated from family to family.

"Just the thought it was so close to home, it was unnerving," she said. "No one really wants to talk about it because it is a disgusting crime. But, I think we're all keeping a little better watch on our children."

"No neighborhood is immune. No one really knows what goes on behind doors," said Capt. Dave Wulff, of the Cary Police Department.

For that reason, Brochin, who serves on the board of her homeowner's assocation, wants the next newsletter to open doors.

"We should maybe include something that says we should get to know our neighbors a little bit better, so that we'll be better prepared if it ever happens again," she said.

Schellenberger remains in federal custody awaiting sentencing. Hackney is being held on $1 million bond pending trial. Neither one is listed yet on the

North Carolina Sex Offender Registry

.

Under North Carolina law, sex offenders must keep their information current with the state for 10 years. Virginia law also requires sex offenders to register for 10 years. Convicts also have up to 10 days to notify authorities of their new address.

In South Carolina, the law is tougher as sex offenders must register within 24 hours. Plus, their name remains on that list for the rest of their life.