Posted on 08/17/2008 4:32:31 PM PDT by buccaneer81
Boy's parents sue to get his baby from mom, 21 Saturday, August 16, 2008 3:12 AM By Mary Beth Lane THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH LANCASTER, Ohio --- A Pickerington couple and their son are fighting for custody of a baby born to a Lancaster woman charged with having unlawful sex with the boy, who was 15 at the time of conception.
A paternity test shows that the teen is the father of the baby born April 7 to Jane C. Crane, who was 19 when she became pregnant. Now, a judge has ordered him to pay $50 a month in child support and set visitation at seven hours a week.
Crane, meanwhile, faces criminal charges. A Fairfield County grand jury indicted her last month on two counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, a fourth-degree felony. Conviction carries a maximum sentence of 18 months in prison and a requirement to register as a sex offender for 25 years.
Crane is living with the baby and her family in Lancaster.
The boy's parents say they can provide a better upbringing for the baby than Crane can. Her household includes her stepfather, David L. Jacobs, who was convicted of domestic violence last year for hitting, choking and pointing a gun at Crane's 17-year-old sister and was placed on two years' probation, court records show.
"We don't want to have our granddaughter abused by these people," the boy's father said. "We are trying to do the right thing.
"The child support was the icing on the cake. I couldn't believe that our son has to pay child support to his abuser."
The Dispatch does not identify victims of sexual abuse.
Crane is scheduled for a pretrial conference before Common Pleas Judge Richard E. Berens on Aug. 21. A hearing and a status conference in the custody dispute are scheduled for next month before Domestic Relations Judge Kathy S. Mowry.
Crane, now 21, is not a suitable custodial parent in part because she may have committed a felony by having sexual intercourse with a minor younger than 16, the boy's parents argue in court papers seeking custody.
Crane declined to comment. She is free on a $5,000 recognizance bond pending trial. Her attorney, Sandra Davis, did not return calls. Lawyer Jennifer Strunk, the court-appointed guardian ad litem representing the baby's interests, said through a spokesman that she could not comment.
That a 19-year-old woman had sex with a 15-year-old boy might seem like no big deal to some, but it is a serious charge, said Assistant Prosecutor Julia Dillon.
It makes no difference that it is an adult female charged with unlawful sexual conduct with a minor boy rather than the more common instance of an adult male charged with unlawful sexual conduct with a minor girl.
"It is an age and maturity issue, not a gender issue," Dillon said. "He's a young boy coming into his own, being taken advantage of by an adult."
There could yet be a plea agreement. "I have made what I consider to be a reasonable offer, but I have not received a response," she said.
The incident has had lasting affects on the boy, now 16, his mother said.
"He has nightmares, he is stressed out," she said. "He is a father, even though it was a crime for him to be a father. His life is changed forever."
Crane got to know the family while she worked at a local movie theater with the boy's older sister. When Crane said that her stepfather was abusive, his family allowed her to move in with them.
The boy's sister later bought her own home and Crane moved in with her. It was there last summer that Crane had sex with their son at least twice, his parents said.
mlane@dispatch.com
Pickerington ping!
I wonder if any judge has ordered a rapist to pay child support for the child they conceive.
Not to make any moral equivalence between the two here, but this makes no sense whatsoever for a victim to have to pay child support
The judge awards custody to the sex offender and the victim has to pay child support. Anything wrong here?
Has the idea of adoption gone completely out of our society? If ever a baby needed adopting, it’s this one.
Ping.
People like you are part of the problem.
Oh just shoot the messenger! All you harp on “teach your kids to say no to pre-marital sex” Does that only apply to girls and not to boys? This boy got him self into this, now he has to pay for this. Really the girl was only 19, more than likely she was only 18 when she got pregnant. That is not much of an age difference. Okay legally she is an adult, but I fear she is not mature if she is with a 15 year old, and it is not like she was 30 year old teacher or something.
Yeah, you didn't use scare quotes around the word "judge."
They don’t want to pay $50 a month toward the care of this baby, but they want full custody. How do they plan to provide for this baby on less than $50 a month?
"...baby born April 7 to Jane C. Crane, who was 19 when she became pregnant."
Okay legally she is an adult, but I fear she is not mature if she is with a 15 year old,
Gee, ya think? She's still an adult, and he was under age. Your double standard doesn't wash.
Your attitude is part of the male-bashing culture so ingrained in Western society today. Little wonder our country is so far off track.
It’s child support. Not parent support.
Yea and I notice how you have said nothing about teaching boys to say “no to sex” Very interesting! Yet you accuse me of male-bashing. I am just stating his parents share some blame in this. They did not teach their son to say “no to sex” and oh guess what? He has a baby now! Then they want to call they other girls parents bad parents! talk about living in a glass house.
Want to bet? It’s state support in Virginia.
Give me a break. It's the principle of the thing. She's a criminal. He was too young to give his consent, by law.
Pickerington is a wealthy suburb of Columbus. I'm pretty sure the folks could afford to raise the child. Plus, the mother should pay the child support.
But did you read this?
The boy's parents say they can provide a better upbringing for the baby than Crane can. Her household includes her stepfather, David L. Jacobs, who was convicted of domestic violence last year for hitting, choking and pointing a gun at Crane's 17-year-old sister and was placed on two years' probation, court records show.
That's reason enough for a change of custody.
You obviously didn't read the whole story:
The boy's parents say they can provide a better upbringing for the baby than Crane can. Her household includes her stepfather, David L. Jacobs, who was convicted of domestic violence last year for hitting, choking and pointing a gun at Crane's 17-year-old sister and was placed on two years' probation, court records show.
As far as teaching chastity, kids will make mistakes, won't listen to parents, think they know it all. Been there, done that. You really think a majority of kids are virgins at 18? You must not get out much.
Oh snap! Why don’t we just have a shotgun marriage for the both of them and save the trouble of this child support crap? Oh wait......I just looked at the calender.....it is not 1950 anymore...............
Yes the judge is not impeached.
The judge is not in jail
The judge is not swinging from a tree
No. It's "whatever the mother wants to spend it on" support. I speak from experience.
Yeah, and American society is SO much better.
/sarc
Neither home sounds suitable.
that is what I meant! The other parents are not saints. This girls is immature. I just wish more parents would teach boys to say “no to sex” and not blame the girl because she got pregnant.
Yes kids do not listen. Yes this boy learned they hard way. It is wrong of you to think I am a male basher when you do not know me. I am a person who has seen kids lived ruined by pre-martial sex. A lot of times parents don’t give this advise to boys like they give it to girls.
Explain to me how the boy's parents home is unsuitable. Because he didn't listen about not having sex? Well, that would indict an awful lot of decent couples whose kids chose not to listen to them.
The boy made a mistake. A big one. But the mother broke the law and resides with a convicted domestic abuser.
What are you talking about? Show me where in the story anything is written that calls the fitness of the boy's parents into question.
At first glance I tend to agree with you, but I wonder if maybe their objection is to giving $50/month to the sex offender mom, not knowing if it will actually go towards the care and support of the baby (maybe it would, but you could probably get good odds that it wouldn't).
Just a thought.
As I understand it...this poor "child" has been traumatized and is losing sleep due to nightmares. How much more stress and trauma will this child cause this young man.....er boy?
I don’t think there’s an emoticon for “three thumbs up” but I wish there was.
~</;o)
Do you really think it's appropriate to suggest that we hang judges we disagree with? Really??
Maybe you're on the wrong forum.
Thanks!
If you want a say in how child support is spent...why aren’t you with the mother of your children?
That strong enough for you?
I agree with you on that issue also. I was just addressing a specific question that was posed that I felt was probably not the main issue.
</;o)
She had an affair at work, I did not want a divorce, she did, she got custody, and that's how it works out for millions of men in this country every year.
But thanks for prejudging me.
Without information about the father’s family...how do I know this is the worst household of the two?
Please don’t put somebody else’s words in my mouth. I’m posting tonight from a cell phone, which is difficult enough without having to defend someone else’s position.
Child support is just that; child support. Whoever has custody, they will spend considerably more on the baby than $50 a month.
If the boy and his parents care at all about the baby, they wouldn’t resent contributing a paltry $50.
Classy response to a moronic question....kudos!
I’m not prejudging you, at all. (shrugs) Whatever insecurities you are feeling have little to do with the fact that you live in a separate household from your children and I doubt very much that you’d want someone outside your own household telling you how to run it. Funny that you don’t give your ex wife the same courtesy. Prejudiced?
There is no mention of a person who is a criminal domestic abuser living in the boy's house. There is such a person living in the mother's house. If that's not enough for you, then the only conclusion I can draw is the obvious...that you are on the woman's side no matter what.
Which part of the custody/support racket employs you?
I know this is difficult for you, but take it slow, and I think you'll understand. They do not want to pay $50 a month to have their granddaughter in a family that will abuse her, and would prefer to pay any amount to support and raise her themselves. Got it? Hsnk
When it comes down to my child and my money, I have every right to question.
BTW, how much do you get every month?
Where are all the guys who think this 15 year old “got lucky” now? I thought sex between a teenage boy and an older woman wasn’t the least bit traumatic? At least that’s what I’ve heard. Seems not so true in this case.
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