AUGUSTA – A Maine lawmaker is proposing a bill that would make it a crime for sex offenders to take photos of children without parental consent.

Republican state Rep. Matthew Pouliot says his proposal comes after several parents in Augusta called police last week to complain about a registered sex offender taking photos of girls and women in public and posting the images online.

Pouliot, who represents Augusta, says law enforcement was unable to act because the sex offender’s actions are not against the law.

Pouliot’s bill would make it a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in prison and a $2,000 fine.

The bill requires approval from the Legislative Council before it moves to the full Legislature. The council is scheduled to discuss the bill Thursday.