Support Jay J.'s Law

If the popular, ever-catchy song rings true, then “children are our future.”

But what happens when they aren’t granted the futures they deserve, as is the case with 2-year-old Jay J. Bolvin, who experienced a series of beatings at the hands of his father and will have to deal with developmental delays for the rest of his life.

His future remains uncertain, but one thing that is certain is that the situation is unfair.

As an infant, Jay J. was repeatedly beaten so badly by his father, Jeremy Bolvin, that he experienced 11 separate fractures and a diagnosis for a seizure disorder. While most 2-year-olds proudly announce new words they’ve discovered, Jay J. still cannot speak. He’s just learning how to make sounds when directed to and is currently a year behind where he should be in terms of development.

Here’s where this story transitions from sadness to anger: For all his wrongdoings and the suffering he bestowed upon his innocent, infant son, Jeremy Bolvin was sentenced to 1 1/3 to 4 years in prison. It wasn’t the judge’s choice – she gave the strictest sentence possible.

So while Jay J. must suffer from the beatings for the rest of his life, his father will suffer a maximum of four years.

It gets worse. This is not the first time Jeremy Bolvin has been convicted of beating a child. In 2006 he was convicted of third-degree assault for breaking the arm of his then- 6-month-old son.

In an effort to further protect children, who are perhaps our most vulnerable citizens, Cheektowaga’s very own Assemblyman Dennis Gabryszak is leading the sponsorship of a new bill that would give repeated child abusers stricter punishments for their monstrous crimes.

They’ll call it “Jay J.’s Law.” They’ll make sure justice is served.

According to nysenate.gov:

“This bill aims to protect victims of child abuse by strengthening penalties against violent offenders who hurt children. This bill will fix a gap in state law wherein persons convicted of repeat violent assaults upon children are given light sentences, despite the great deal of damage done to the child.”

And it’s time the “gap,” which repeated child abusers are given light sentences, is closed.

Under Jay J.’s Law, repeated child abusers with convictions like Jeremy Bolvin could receive up to seven years in prison, compared to the four-year maximum now given. It also would increase the time frame for previous convictions to 10 years, as opposed to the three-year window now in place. Penalties would become steeper, with third-time offenders potentially receiving 25 years in prison. And in some instances, Jay J.’s Law would allow more severe cases to be prosecuted as first-degree assaults, rather than the third-degree assault Jeremy Bolvin was charged with for beating his infant sons.

No child should be abused, ever, and we all know that. But it unfortunately does happen, and we all know that we can stop it, too.

For the suffering he bestowed upon his two sons, Jeremy Bolvin received the equivalent of a slap on the wrist – all things considered. And there are others out there just like him. And they need to be stopped.

Support Jay J.’s Law and protect those who cannot protect themselves. To do this, visit www.facebook.com/JusticeForJj and “Like” the page. After you like the page, you will find links to online petitions in support of the law, as well as updates on progress to get Jay J.’s Law passed.

Actively supporting Jay J.’s Law through Facebook will take five minutes of your time and can save a life in the future. Take the five minutes out of your day – think of Jay J.