I fathered five children and raised them, for the most part, on South Main St. in Bowling Green , Ohio .  Unfortunately, my marriage ended while two of my children were still minors. Their mother and I decided that they would remain with her.  Over the years I maintained the same strong father/child relationship and continued to take my responsibility as provider for them very seriously.  I do, and have always, loved my children very much. My court ordered support payments were regular and I contributed significantly to their care.  Two years, one heart attack and numerous surgeries ago, I became disabled.  I’m currently receiving Medicaid benefits under Ohio Disability.  My wife works at Walmart and does her best in facing the same hardships faced by my x-wife and my now seventeen year old son, the only remaining minor child.  She has to provide for herself and one dependant.  But, in spite of knowing my situation, the Wood County Child Support Bureau has determined that I am willfully refusing to pay child support and is asking that I be found in Contempt of Court, which is a criminal offense and punishable by jail sentence.  In my conversation with the Child Support attorney, I was informed that they view themselves as nothing more than a collection agency.  A collection agency with the legislative power to imprison those who they are unable to collect from.  They have demonstrated their lack of concern for the well being of children and exist now as nothing more than a money machine, generating dollars for the state. If you don’t find this frightening, you should.  Our right, as citizens of this state and nation, to be free from the horrors of debtor’s prison has been abolished.

RS, Ohio

In 1992, after my divorce, my Son was sexually abused by my now ex husband’s brother.  My son was 2 years of age at this time.  I took every step within the court system to insure the safety and protection of my son.  I placed a call to child protective services and also had my son seen by a medical doctor who specialized in children who had been sexually abused.  Although the doctor’s findings were that my son had been sexually assaulted, the children’s protective services said that my son was too young at the time to take into consideration his testimony of the event and the case was closed.

In 1995 my son was again sexually abused by my ex husband’s brother.  I refused to allow him to slip through the cracks of our system again and I again contacted children’s protective services about the incident.  He again was evaluated by a medical doctor whose specialty was sexually abused children.  I was also referred to a child sexual abuse psychologist to get my son the help that he needed.  I got an attorney and went to court to get supervised visitation so that my son would no longer be at the mercy of his father’s negligence and disregard for his safety and protection.  I also contacted the media about the case and was prepared to air our story in the event that the court again decided to take no action for the well being of my son.  The reporter contacted children protective services, spoke with the doctor who examined my son and also spoke with my son’s psychologist.  All of their findings were conclusive that my son had been sexually abused.   With all the expert testimony we had to support our case we asked for immediate supervised visitations.  The supervised visits were granted but they were to be supervised by my ex husbands girlfriend and a no contact order was put in place for my son’s perpetrator.  None of the experts on the case felt as though my ex’s girlfriend was a suitable choice, nor did I, but the judge placed the order.

Children’s protective service told me that if my son was sexually abused again that they would not only hold my ex husband accountable but that they would also hold me accountable for allowing him to go on the visits, even though I was court ordered to allow him to go on these visits.  The judge informed me that if I didn’t let my son go that she would hold me in contempt of court and have me arrested.  The weekend came, the weekend I had dreaded, the weekend where I was forced by a judge to allow my son to go on a visit with his father not knowing whether or not his father would insure his safety.  Two police units were dispatched to make sure that my ex was allowed his visit and were informed that if I did not let him go that they were to arrest me for contempt of court.  I stood on my front porch with my baby in my arms crying because I was powerless against our system and the judge who placed this order in effect.  I felt as though I had no where to turn and had no where to go for help so I called the reporter who was following my story and told her what had taken place and how I was forced to allow my son to go with his father.  The reporter was so enraged at the judge’s decision that she called the judge and told her she was airing the story the following week and that this case would not go unheard.  That following Monday my attorney called me and told me the judge had ordered an emergency hearing and that I had to be in court in two hours.  I was aware of the reporter calling the judge and I thought finally something would be done to insure my son’s safety that finally we would not slip through the cracks.  Imagine my surprise when we entered the court room, one with no court reporter and was told by the judge that if I contacted the media again about this case that not only would she put me in jail but she would also take away custody and grant it to my ex husband and that I would never see my son again. 

I couldn’t believe what had just happened.  I believed 100% in our judicial system. I felt it was fair and just and I stood with my mouth opened, drawing a complete blank as to what to say or do.  I was advised by my attorney to have no further contact with the media.   She explained that it was re-election time and that the presiding judge over my case was seeking to keep her seat on bench and that airing this story would greatly affect her chances of regaining her place in the courts.  My attorney told me that my actions in regards to the media would greatly affect my case. 

The trial came and with it a panel of professional sexual abuse experts which included a child abuse psychologist, the children service bureau, and the medical doctors who examined my son and the injuries sustained.  My ex had his mother, his girlfriend and himself on his panel.  I figured there would be no question as to who would win this case.  I had an excellent team of experts up against his family and friends.  We couldn’t possibly lose this case and my son would finally be protected from anymore emotional and physical damage of this abuse. 

The trial lasted 6 days.  At the end of which I was told by the judge that I acted above and beyond a protective parent, that I subjected my son to the media and would have aired my story and subjected him to public humiliation. (Mind you the story was going to be aired and our identities were going to be protected).  She said I duped the children service bureau, I duped the medical doctors and I duped the child psychologist into believing my son was sexually abused when indeed he was not.  She granted my ex husband full custody of my son and ordered me to have supervised visitations with my son.  She then ordered that I seek psychiatric help for my problems and if I did not comply with her order she would take away my supervised visits as well.  I was ordered to go to a psychiatrist and tell them that I had fabricated this entire story and seek the help that I needed before she would allow me to see my son unsupervised. 

I never did even get supervised visits with my son.  There was always some paper work to be signed or things that needed to be changed before I could see my son.  When the judge found out I was not going to a psychiatrist she placed a new order which was that I was only allowed to talk to my son on the phone on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  Every time I called my ex to talk to my son he was always in the tub, outside playing, wasn’t there or was sleeping.  I never got to talk to him once, I never got to even say goodbye to my baby.  I had spent every last penny I had on the first court case, sold everything in my home, including my car to pay for my attorney.   I did not have the money to appeal the judge’s decision.  I was stripped of my rights as a citizen of this country, as a woman, and as a mother who did everything she could to protect her son from being abused.  It has been 10 years since I have even as much as laid eyes on my son.

This is our system; this is the way of the United States courts and government.  I am a mother who had her child taken from her.  I was stripped of my rights, my justice and my motherhood by a judge seeking to be re-elected.  Welcome to the land of justice and freedom for all, so long as it benefits the ones sitting in the judicial and political seat of power.

JS, Ohio