For many children of divorced parents, the breakup of the family is devastating. When they do not receive the basic necessities they require because of the lack of financial child support from the non-custodial parent, the additional burden can negatively affect those children for years to come. A father from a state outside Pennsylvania became the subject of federal criminal proceedings for nonpayment of child support.
The 51-year-old man recently pleaded guilty to charges of wilfully failing to pay more than $90,000 in child support. He and his wife had been married for eight years when they divorced. At that time, the court ordered him to pay a sum of $216 each week to his ex-wife for child support. In three and a half years, his sporadic and minimal payments totaled just over $12,000. Over a year later, he stopped making any payments at all.
In the past several years, he moved to Florida. According to federal law, it is illegal for a non-custodial parent to live in a different state than his or her children if the parent owes over $10,000 in child support. With his plea, he will now not only be required to pay the total amount of child support owed, but he may also have to pay a fine of $250,000 and spend up to two years in prison.
When children are brought into the world, it is up to the parents to provide for the needs of those children. Sometimes, that can mean major sacrifice on the part of each parent. Custodial parents in Pennsylvania who are having difficulty getting the child support that is needed may want to seek help from a professional who will work diligently toward that end.
Source: bangordailynews.com, “Florida man pleads guilty to not paying $90,000 in child support“, Judy Harrison, Sept. 17, 2015
