The Sun Journal frequently publishes pictures from the sex offender registry, and as helpful as that may be to the public, it is still very sickening.

I cannot express how upset my wife and I are about the recent stories in the newspaper of people being caught for child molestation and child pornography. We think state laws are too weak and the punishment needs to be a bit harsher for those predators.

For the past 17 years, as the directors of the Pentecostal Kids Church The Jesus Party, we have promoted the month of April as “Child Abuse Awareness Month.” We take the time to teach children here at our ministry about good touches/bad touches and who to turn to if they feel violated. We take this matter very seriously and urge other faith communities to take the time in the month of April to address their congregations on this serious subject matter.

The Jesus Party will be promoting the “Blue Ribbon Campaign,” and I hope others will, too. The blue ribbon is a positive symbol for the need to do one’s best when it comes to children and families. Since 1989, thousands of people nationwide wear the blue ribbon during April, which is National Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Month, and year ’round to create awareness of the need to prevent child abuse and neglect.

Children are a gift from God.

The Rev. Doug Taylor, Lewiston