Child Support is something every child needs, and it is in that child’s best interests for parents to provide that support. You may have heard of Baby Mama Drama, but how about Baby Daddy Drama? What happens when someone has so many children he cannot support them all?
This guest post is provided by Regent Law 2017 JD Candidate and current Family Law student, Lyndsi Tallman, who is from Tennessee:
In 2012 Desmond Hatchett made news headlines by seeking a reduction in his child support payments. Hatchett was described as a unique case because at age 33 he had fathered 30 biological children with 11 different women. Hatchett is just one of 3 Tennessee men who have fathered large numbers of children with many different women.
The story of Hatchett broke in 2012 after his most recent girlfriend Latoya Shields found out that her child 4th child with Hatchett was his 24th child. The mother did not know that Hatchett had other children, let alone that many children and consequently left Hatchett and released the story to the press. Hatchet was ordered to pay $259 each month for each of Shields' 4 children. See here and here.
UPDATE:
Desmond Hatchett, of Knoxville, has 30 children by 11 different women. He asked for his child support payments to be reduced-even though his paycheck stretched to just $1.49 per child per month. He is currently in jail for aggravated assault. Latoya Shields broke the story in 2012 and has aided in medial attention "exposing him." The most she has received in support is $9. Delisha Brown has not received any support, Zenobia Alexandra (3 kids) and Kayla Reed (1 kid) are seeking support.
And there are more like Mr. Hatchett…..
Richard M. Colbert, Memphis, has 25 children by 18 different women. He claims he does not need to pay for any of his children because they are all adults. He states "he feels lucky. 'everybody's not able to have children". Another man shares the same name as Colbert and states that he regularly gets calls from women and children asking for money.
Terry Tyrone Turnage, also of Memphis, has 23 children by 17 women in Tennessee and another 3 children by a woman in Arkansas. He recently filed a petition in court to lower his child support payments, he never showed for the hearing. One mother stated that Turnage had been ordered to pay $279 each month for her children- but the most she had ever seen was $9.
These three fathers have continued to avoid their duty to the children they bore. The mothers of their children continue to file petitions seeking payment, and continue to seek adequate remedies. The courts continue to attempt to find a remedy that will provide the aid that the children need. The fathers continue to be incarcerated for abuse and failure to pay support. Incarceration causes a lack of income and therefore no payment of child support which leads to the mothers filing more petitions and the cycle repeats. When courts are put into cycles with families such as these, protecting the best interest of the children involved becomes even more difficult than normal. Family Restoration requires responsible parenting to include adequate support from parents to their own children rather than reliance on state resources.
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