Social media is seen by some Pennsylvania parents as good, others as bad. In the case of one man entangled in a child custody dispute with the mother of his 1-year-old baby, it turned out to be detrimental. Legal counsel for the mother could have the ammunition it needs when seeking certain conditions in the child custody argument.
The father had the child for his scheduled visitation but did not return the baby to its mother when his time was over. Without her consent, he was planning to take the child to another state where they would allegedly live with other family members. When the child was not returned to her at the appointed time, the mother called the police.
Authorities did not have much problem finding the man and his baby, as he had posted his plans on his Facebook page. He also frequently updated his status as the two were traveling on a bus to his intended destination. State police were able to find him at a rest stop after the man supposedly posted a picture of himself in a city he had passed through nearly an hour before. He was charged with first-degree custodial interference and will be sent back to the state where the baby’s mother lives. The child was not hurt in any way and was taken back to the mother.
Pennsylvania parents involved in a child custody dispute know there are times when it seems a satisfactory agreement will never be reached, but acts like this are never advised. What is best for the child or children should be the focus of all parties concerned. While the laws can be complicated and vary from state to state, parents may need to explore the options they have to find the strategy that best fits their circumstances.
Source: opposingviews.com, “Man Arrested For Kidnapping His Infant Tipped Off Police Through Facebook Post“, Lisa Fogarty, Feb. 27, 2015
