I was amazed and horrified to read the April 24 article titled "Ex-police captain guilty."

He was sentenced to a mere six years for soliciting minors, and all six years suspended? What?

And I wondered if the public realizes that we have people in prison right now facing those six years for lesser crimes such as statutory burglary.

Perhaps the Catholic Church is not the only institution to be mishandling pedophiles, when it's within recommended state guidelines to forgo incarceration in a case like this.

Protect our property, but not our children? I am appalled that burglary can trump soliciting a minor. Is this still the U.S. of A.?

J. M. Harris

Spotsylvania