Sex offender owns Lakeland house used in Disney movie

LAKELAND (FOX 13) - A little yellow house, surrounded by a white picket fence, under a canopy of trees is picture-perfect for the Disney movie being filmed in Lakeland.

On the big screen, the house will be home to one of the movie’s main characters.

In real life, however, the home is owned by a registered sex offender.

Residents of Lakeland know, once the scene of a movie set becomes a piece of pop culture – like the arch at the Southgate Shopping Center, which was featured in the film “Edward Scissorhands” – there will be a steady stream of tourists hoping to catch a glimpse of movie history.

Because this movie is meant for children, the owner’s status concerns some parents.

RELATED: Southgate Shopping Center transforms into set for Disney movie

Disney's “The One and Only Ivan" is about a gorilla’s escape from the mall where he was held in captivity.

The film's big star, Bryan Cranston has been shooting scenes outside of Southgate Shopping Center.

Movie crews also filled the yard and roadway of the little yellow house where Cranston’s character lives in the movie.

The home was scouted out and rented for the movie by Disney.

"Being Disney, being a Disney movie and Disney being more geared toward children, using a house that’s owned by a registered sex offender is kind of crazy,” father and Lakeland resident Dustin Finn told FOX 13. “It’s just nuts, for a multi-billion-dollar corporation.”

The home’s owner, Gary Davis was charged with lewd and lascivious behavior on a minor in 1991.

FOX 13 News reached out to Disney for comment, but their representative did not respond. It was unclear if Davis was or would be at the home when child actors were present.

A relative of Davis said she didn’t want to comment other than to say she would like the focus to be on the house and not the person who owns it.