News 12 Midday, August 29, 2008

AUGUSTA, Ga -- 169 alleged dead beat dads and moms in Richmond County were targeted this week in Operation Back to School Sweep for Child Support.

It's a sting operation that began with Richmond County courts saying enough is enough, now they're putting parents who don't pay in jail.

And News 12 went along for the ride as one by one, Richmond County deputies arrested parents accused of being dead beat moms and dads.

Gardner, "Do you have anything to say?"
Towe, "For what?"
Gardner, " For not paying your child support?"
Towe, "I've been paying it, 182 dollars a week."
Gardner, "You're not behind on any payments?"
Towe,"I'm sure I am."

This is Kevin Towe, deputies say he has five kids and he's behind about 30 thousand dollars, so he's now going to jail.

Gardner, "Why did you get behind on your payments?"
Towe, "Because i was strung out on dope. I didn't ask for this."
Gardner, "Neither did your kids so what happened?"

Towe says his meth habit a few years ago got him behind, now he says he's clean and he's working to catch up.

Gardner, "Any lessons learned here?"
Towe, "Yeah"
Gardner, "What's that?"
Towe, "Do the right thing."

It's a lesson that deputies say is coming at his children's expense.

"Some of them are behind thousands and thousands of dollars and you know, it's not fair." says Lt. Scott Gay. He helped organize the sweep and he's a father himself, so it's an operation that is personal for him.
"I've heard words like you can't call them dead beat moms or dead beat dads because they don't deserve the title of Mom or Dad and I have to agree with that -- shame on you."

"Where are we going to now?" Dee Humphreys is on one of four teams working this week to arrest the 169 targets. "We put in as many hours as it takes to get these people locked up and off the street, it's like hunting deer."

Because he says many of these parents already know they're wanted, so some lie about where they live or move or hide. Humphreys says that makes deputies have to show up at odd hours to find them and arrest them.

10 moms were targeted in the operation, the rest, all accused dead beat dads, like Gerrard Middleton.

Gardner, "Have you paid at all this year?"
Middleton, "I ain't paid nothing this year."

Deputies say he's behind $38,000 on just his one child.

Gardner, "Do you feel bad about getting behind on your child support?"
Middleton, "I ain't been working -- I got a broke back."

Humphreys, "He doesn't seem too happy about it, but he's going to jail."

And after a long night, and a long week, deputies say there is hope. "Feels really good. Hopefully judges can get some child back wages going and some help for the kids who haven't had any."

Lt. Scott Gay tells News 12 as of this morning, 73 of the 169 targets have been located -- some have paid up and others were too far behind and are still in jail waiting on that hearing this afternoon.

Of course News 12 will be there to follow it, so stay tuned to News 12 First at Five for the latest.