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COLUMBIA -- The federal government is stepping in with a $500,000 grant to locate and prosecute hundreds of missing sex offenders in Georgia.

The announcement comes one day after WACH Fox News reported on Midlands residents' concerns that more than 250 convicted sex offenders missing from metro Atlanta could be in the area.

With the Midlands just a three-hour ride up Interstate 20, some local residents are concerned this could be a potential destination for the missing sex offenders.

Georgia authorities admit they have lost track of nearly ten percent of the state's known offenders.

But Lexington County Sheriff James R. Metts said Monday there is no information that any of the missing offenders have come to the area.

According to Metts, the Richland and Lexington County Sheriff's departments work together to make monitoring area sex offenders a top priority. Metts said deputies regularly visit convicted sex offenders just to be sure they haven't moved without informing the authorities.

Of more than 400 registered sex offenders in Lexington County, 11 are currently wanted for failing to register.

Capt. Chris Cowan with the Richland County Sheriff's Dept. said 42 sex offenders are currently wanted for failing to register out of more than 600 offenders who live in the county.

Both Cowan and Metts said Tuesday they were confident deputies would already know if Georgia sex offenders were moving into the area.

The Georgia Department of Corrections said Wednesday it plans to use the federal funds to create a team dedicated to locating and arresting sex offenders wanted for violating their probation.