Flashy Facebook pictures posted by some fathers in Minnesota and around the country are getting them in trouble for nonpayment of child support. According to one single mother in Wisconsin, her 5-year-old daughter’s father regularly posts photos of himself holding stacks of cash in his custom car. Meanwhile, the mother has received only one of the monthly $100 payments he is supposed to make for the care of their child.
The assistant district attorney for the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office says that social media has become a useful tool for determining which fathers have the resources to pay child support and which ones don’t. Because failure to pay child support is only a crime when the father has the means to pay but fails to do so, examining some social media posts can be vital for determining who is breaking the law.
One father who boasted about his wealth on social media has now been charged with felonies for nonpayment of child support. Over three and a half years, the father paid the mother a total of $189 for the care of their son. Meanwhile, the father was regularly posting information on Facebook about how much he makes at his job.
A parent who believes the other parent of their child is illegally withholding child support payments may seek the help of an attorney. When preparing for the child support hearing, access to the nonpaying parent’s social media page could possibly lead to the discovery of evidence. If all of a parent’s income has not been accurately reported, the parent could face legal repercussions and the child support agreement may have to be redrawn.
Source: FOX 6 Now, “Facebook posts get deadbeat parents busted for not paying child support“, Stephen Davis and Meghan Dwyer, July 16, 2014