LOS ANGELES — JonBenet Ramsey’s father, John Ramsey, has finally acknowledged what many Americans have long wanted to hear: He regrets showcasing his daughter in beauty pageants and parades. He also suggests that putting the girl front-and-center in the public eye might have contributed to the 6-year-old’s killing.

“We were so naive,” he told ABC. “I now believe with all my heart that it’s not a good idea to put your child on public display.” Ramsey is currently promoting his new book, out Wednesday, about his struggle to recover from the death of his daughter, who would now be 21.

John Ramsey said he’s haunted, in particular, by an incident that occurred shortly before the girl’s slaying on Dec. 26, 1996.

“Patsy had her sitting atop a friend’s convertible in the Christmas parade waving at the people lining the streets,” Ramsey told ABC. “Patsy’s mother later told me that a strange man approached the car during the parade and it made her uncomfortable. I think about these things now and it makes me cringe.”

John and Patsy Ramsey have been officially cleared of any wrongdoing in their daughter’s death in their Boulder, Colo., home. The killing remains unsolved.