Rally for Jessica's Law Today in Asheville NC

Residents and groups are rallying today to push state legislators to pass harsher punishments for convicted child molesters.

The rally will be 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College, 340 Victoria Road. The event is free and open to the public. Food will be provided.

Supporters want legislators to pass Jessica's Law, named after a nine-year-old who was kidnapped from her grandmother's home, raped and buried alive, said a release from organizer Jeff Gerber of Monroe.

"Her kidnapper was a registered, repeat sex offender that the sheriff's department had lost in the system," the release said.

Jessica's Law would require a mandatory sentence of 25 years to life in prison for anyone convicted of molesting a child aged 12 years and younger. An offender serving less than life would be required to wear a global positioning device.

For more information, go to www.coalitionforjessicaslaw.com.