John Ramsey knows enough about child beauty pageants to know he would never put his child on public display again -- if he had a second chance.
Ramsey's 6-year-old daughter, JonBenet, who competed in beauty contests, was found murdered on Christmas Day in 1996 in John and Patsy Ramsey’s Boulder, Colo., basement.
In an interview with ABC News Blogs, Ramsey said he and JonBenet's mother "were so naïve. I now believe with all my heart that it's not a good idea to put your child on public display."
JonBenet's death captivated national media attention for years. She would have been 21 if she were alive today. The child is buried in Marietta next to Patsy Ramsey, who died of ovarian cancer in 2006, and a sister who died in a 1992 car accident.
Jon Benet’s murder remains unsolved. Several years ago, Atlanta native John Mark Karr claimed he was responsible but was cleared when his DNA did not match the male DNA found on the girl's body.
John Ramsey, 67, remarried last July to Jan Rousseaux, 53, a Las Vegas designer.
Ramsey told ABC said he wants people to remember his daughter, not in a tiara, but in as a tomboy who loved to hike and play.
Ramsey said he has only seen small takes of the hit TLC show “Toddlers and Tiaras” and found it troubling. “It’s very bizarre,” he told ABC.
His advice to parents considering kid pageants: “Don't be naive about it, and keep your kids protected."
