Man fakes his own death to avoid paying child support

Man fakes his own death to avoid paying child support

This man did the wildest thing ever to avoid paying child support...

Child Support
Child Support / iStock

A child is a product of two people coming together. 

The parents are responsible for taking care of the child's needs, including physical needs that might require money. 

When one parent fails to support their child, the other parent might seek help from a court of law. This is where child support comes in. 

Failure to pay child support will lead to the parent facing several charges. In South Africa, these can include: 

  • be blacklisted at credit bureaus,
  • be jailed for a period not longer than 3 years,
  • be imprisoned with the option of paying a fine,
  • have interest added to their maintenance arrears, or
  • have their property or salary attached.

Father fakes death to avoid paying child support

A father reportedly faked his own death to avoid paying maintenance for his child. 

The report by Sky News states that Jesse Kipf, 39, of Somerset, Kentucky, attempted to skip out on his outstanding child support obligations by committing computer fraud where he used login details from a doctor. He created a case for his death and reportedly completed a worksheet for a death certificate.

This led to him being registered as a deceased person in several government databases, reports Sky News

The man was sentenced to nine years in prison for computer fraud and aggravated identity theft. 

Carlton Shier, the US attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, reportedly released a statement stating that the man's actions were destructive. 

READ: Minnie Dlamini sets the record straight on R10,000 maintenance to ex-husband

"This scheme was a cynical and destructive effort, based in part on the inexcusable goal of avoiding his child support obligations,"  read a statement from Mr Shier. 

"This case is a stark reminder of how damaging criminals with computers can be, and how critically important computer and online security is to us all.

"Fortunately, through the excellent work of our law enforcement partners, this case will serve as a warning to other cybercriminals, and he will face the consequences of his disgraceful conduct."

READ: Back to school: Simple yet effective tips for parents

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Image courtesy of iStock/ @TolikoffPhotography

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