Virginia Using Cell Phones To Track Down Dead Beat Parents

by Heather McLaughlin

If you live in the state of Virginia, have a cell phone and you’re behind on child support payments don’t be surprised if the strong arm of the law comes a callin’.

Virginia is the first state that is going to subpoena mobile phone records in an effort to collect 2.4 billion dollars of unpaid child support to 480,000 children throughout the state. In all, they are looking to find some 268,000 non-custodial parents that have fallen behind on child support payments.

As a result of the program, the Division of Child Support Enforcement got more than 52,000 active cell phone numbers from seven of the largest sell phone providers. Since cell phone providers quickly turn off phones if bills go unpaid, nearly all the addresses and phone numbers they received were current, said Nick Young, state deputy commissioner and director of child support enforcement.

This new method of finding dead beat parents sure makes the old system seem outdated and out of touch with technology. I’m sure that if it proves as a fruitful method to collect unpaid child support, more states will follow suit.

What are your thoughts on this subject?

Daily Press