Though you may be aware of the dangers
associated with Facebook when it comes to divorce, you may not realize the
impact Facebook can have on child support arrangements. It’s common knowledge
that these days Ohio courts and law enforcement agencies are aiming to ensure
that parents who owe court-ordered child support fulfill their financial
obligations.
Obligors who fail to pay may be charged
with contempt of court. If payments become severely delinquent, law enforcement
and governmental agencies can sometimes step in and garnish wages, suspended a
drivers’ license, or even put the delinquent parent in jail.
While child support is usually handled at
the state level, the federal government sometimes gets involved in some
situations, including when the debtor crosses state lines to avoid paying child
support. In a recent federal case involving felony charges for unpaid child
support, authorities succeeded in tracking down the debtor using a tool that is
becoming increasingly common in such cases: Facebook.
The man is a native of Milwaukee,
Wisconsin, but now lives in Southern California. He was ordered to pay child
support for his daughter but allegedly has not made any payments since 1996. In
2008, authorities charged him with six felony counts of unpaid child support,
and he now reportedly owes over $100,000 in past due support payments.
Investigators recently learned of
information concerning the man’s location only after filing a search warrant
related to his Facebook information. The social media site contains such a
wealth of user-provided personal data that it is often seen as a valuable tool
in criminal investigations as well as civil cases.
Facebook even provides information on how
law enforcement can gain access to a user’s data beyond what is publically
available. In child support cases, authorities may be looking for information
on a delinquent parent’s current address, current job or source of income and
any other information that may be helpful in locating the person and holding
him or her financially responsible. Many of these people don’t seem to realize
that the very public information they share over the internet is exactly what
they are trying to keep secret from law enforcement and spouses.
If you find yourself facing the prospect
of divorce, contact an experienced Ohio family law attorney who can help guide you through the
difficult process. Count on the expertise of Twinsburg family law attorney Carol
L. Gasper.
Source:
“Investigators
tap Facebook for details in child support case,”
by John Diedrich, published at JSOnline.com.
See
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