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Man robs bank so that he can continue fighting for child custody

Sometimes parents will do anything to gain custody of their kids. In some situations one parent is fighting with the other; in other instances a parent is fighting the family of the other parent for custody.

But to what lengths will a parent go in a child custody dispute? Earlier this week a man was arrested and charged with robbery after he apparently tried to rob a bank. When investigators asked the man why he robbed the bank, he told them that he needed money to continue fighting for custody of his little girl.

It appears that he though robbing a bank was his only option in getting his daughter back. After the baby girl’s mother had passed away, the mother’s family wanted custody. It is unclear whether the little girl was in custody of her maternal grandparents or her father. But without a job or other source of income, the father did not know how to continue fighting for custody unless he got money from somewhere else.

When determining custody, courts look at what is in the best interests of the child. One factor that plays into this decision is whether a parent can financially support a child. The father may have been afraid that he would lose his daughter if a judge saw that he had no source of income.

But now the father may have a more difficult time gaining custody. He is currently being held on bond and could be convicted of first-degree robbery. If he is sentenced to prison, he will be unable to see his daughter; the earliest he could see her would likely be when he serves his sentence.

Though this father felt like he had no other choice but to take the steps that he did, there are ways to reach a solution that satisfies all parties involved.

Source: Times Daily: “Suspect held on $50,000 bond; claimed to need money for child custody dispute,” Tom Smith, Oct. 25, 2011

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