Kailey Stewart is 5 years old with blonde hair, blue eyes and is 3’0 tall and weighs 40 pounds. She was last seen wearing a colored striped shirt and black leggings.

Hayden Stewart is 10, has blonde hair and blue eyes, is 4’0 tall and weighs 70 pounds. He was last seen wearing a blue jacket and blue jeans.

The mother’s name is Casondra Stewart. Police say she’s white with brown hair and brown eyes, and was last seen wearing a pink t-shirt and black leggings.

She was last seen with the kids at 6 p.m. on Friday night. Stewart was last seen driving a red 1992 Toyota Corolla with several dents and a different red hood. The California licence plate number is 4YBN892.

A court in southern Illinois today will begin determining custody of Richard “Ricky” Chekevdia, the little boy found hidden in a wall at his grandmother’s house two years after disappearing with his mother.

It’s the next step in getting the boy’s life back to normal after he vanished in 2007 during a contentious custody battle between his father, Michael Chekevdia and his mother, Shannon Wilfong.

His grandmother, Diane Dobbs — who had been charged initially with aiding and abetting the boy’s disappearance — was re-arrested Monday on a related charge.

The arrest came hours after Dobbs, then out on $1,000 bond, professed her innocence and took “Good Morning America” on a tour of the house where authorities say Ricky, 6, was hidden behind walls and in secret rooms.

ABC’s Carterville, Ill., affiliate WSIL reported today that Dobbs and her fiance, Robert Sandefur, were re-arrested for harassing a potential witness after a woman called police to say the couple had threatened the life of her son.

Wilfong, who disappeared with Ricky after Michael Chekevdia won custody of the boy two years ago, remains in custody from her initial arrest on felony child abduction charges.

Chekevdia has yet to formally reunite with his son, but said he saw him from afar at a Labor Day picnic.

“I didn’t get to touch him, I didn’t get to talk to him but I saw him,” he said. “And it’s just a great feeling to see your child playing.”

Dobbs told “Good Morning America” on Monday that she did nothing wrong in helping to hide her family and keep the boy safe.

She maintains that Wilfong disappeared with Ricky after police failed to properly investigate Wilfong’s claims that Chekevdia has sexually abused Ricky, a charge Chekevdia has vehemently denied.

“I’ve been exonerated,” Chekevdia said. “I have been cleared of all wrongdoing”…

Mother and son were found huddled in a crawl space Friday by police who were acting on a tip. They said it was clear that Ricky had rarely, if ever, ventured outside. Dobbs said she put the two in the hiding space behind a dresser when she saw police gathering outside.

After Michael Chekevdia won temporary child custody rights, Wilfong accused him of sexually abusing the boy. When child welfare workers found no evidence and awarded Michael Chekevdia custody, Wilfong disappeared with their son…

Investigators found the [grandmother's] house riddled with secret hiding places, including a hole in the floor and another hole carved into the wall behind a dresser.

“We let him out of the car, and he ran around like he’d never seen the outdoors,” Illinois State Police Master Sgt. Stan Diggs said. “It was actually very sad”…

For the time being, Michael Chekevdia said he is happy to abide by the system and wait until child welfare workers determine that his son is ready to see him again.

“I have seen him at a distance and he looks well. … He could look better. He’s eating, he’s sleeping, he’s socializing very well,” Chekevdia said. “And when they tell me that it’s time, I’ll go.”

To be fair, it’s not impossible that the mother and the grandmother were in some fashion acting on the boys’ behalf, such as in the Joyce Murphy case. In that case a mother kidnapped her daughter to keep her away from a sexually deviant father who had used false claims of Parental Alienation to wrest custody from a protective parent–exactly as her feminist defenders said.

Much more likely, however, is that this is yet another example of one of the plagues of our time–mothers doing everything they possibly can to interfere with or destroy the relationship between their children and their exes. Let’s hope they’re reunited quickly. Read More…

1. A valid court order is an order that has been issued commanding or prohibiting the subject in question from doing a particular act. A valid court order must be signed by a judge or issued by the district clerk’s office, certified as having been signed by a judge.2. The subject in question was validly served with such court order or it can be shown that the subject had prior knowledge of the court order and its content.

3. The subject in question having full knowledge of the above two factors is intentionally and willfully violating the court order.

This sample document is used to notify the non-custodial parent of intent of visitation and printed with permission from DADS Against Discrimination and is intended to help document attempts made while exercising court ordered visitation.

IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF (YOUR) COUNTY, (STATE)(PETITIONER) vs. (RESPONDENT) (YOUR DIVORCE CASE #)

NOTICE OF INTENT TO EXERCISE PARENTAL RIGHT

YOU ARE ADVISED that (YOUR NAME HERE) intends to Exercise his parental rights with his child(ren) (CHILDS FULL NAME 1) and (CHILDS FULL NAME 2) in the following matter.

1. The children shall spend from (DAY) evening at (TIME)p.m. to (TIME) p.m. (DAY) evening on (PICK UP DATES EXAMPLE: July 22nd and 23rd).2. Place of pick-up and return shall be (ADDRESS, CITY, STATE).

3. The children will need the appropriate changes of clothing and health care items for a overnight visitation.

4. During the exercise of the above time schedule, the children shall be located within the bounds of the (YOUR COUNTY) area.

5. Basis for the exercise of parental rights: Order granted by Judge (JUDGES NAME) on (DATE OF VISITATION ORDER, YEAR).

AS NOTICE HEREOF, The original of this Notice Of Intent To Exercise Parental Rights has been filed with the Court, and true copies have been mailed as indicated below. YOU ARE REQUESTED TO COOPERATE in permitting the Respondent to exercise his lawful parental rights and to notify the Respondent’s attorney’s listed below and the Court in writing prior to the date of exercise if there is some legal reason why these rights, as set forth, cannot be exercised at the date, time, place, and in the particulars described.

_______________________(SIGN HERE)

(YOUR NAME)

(YOUR ADDRESS)

(CITY, STATE, ZIP) (PHONE)

(MAIL DUPLICATES TO ALL PARTIES)

Original copy filed with

Clerk of Court and copy mailed this date _____________________ to:

(YOUR EX)

(HER ADDRESS)

(CITY, STATE, ZIP)

(Attorneys Name here if applicable)

PROVING A DENIAL OF VISITATION

1. Take a witness along with you – preferably an off-duty constable or deputy or other neutral official. Have our witness stay in your vehicle, but with the window down so that he/she can hear the tone of the conversation and with the vehicle parked in such a way as the witness can easily see you all the time.2. Take a Xerox copy of our divorce decree along with you which shows that you are supposed to see the child(ren) on that weekend and at that time. DO NOT BE EVEN 5 MINUTES LATE.

3. Take a tape recorder with you – have it running from the time you approach the residence, and do not stop it until you leave. Do NOT have it on the ”voice activated” setting as you need to show the time elapsed during your stay there. Keep it running as you leave the area.

4. As you approach the residence state the following facts into the recorder:

Your complete name

The address you are approaching

The reason you are there ”I am going to pick up my child(ren) as this is my weekend to visit them.”

State who is with you and why.

State the time of the day and a.m. or p.m.

5. As you leave, state that you are leaving and state the time and briefly what occurred which did not appear on the recorder. (She/He made an obscene gesture, etc.)

6. Keep a calendar of each denied visitation, and keep a written record of the number of recordings you have.

7. Make sure you have a credible witness each time that you try to go see the child(ren) and DO NOT MISS A VISITATION PERIOD.

8. If she/he calls the police, keep the recorder running as long as they will let you, but DO NOT shut it off until they arrive.

9. Remember to use a new tape for each attempted visit, and make sure it is blank, except for your attempted visits as admitting a tape in evidence admits the whole tape and everything on it.

10. When recruiting a person to go with you, always have a back-up just in case your first choice cannot make it, but DO NOT GO ALONE. Start out early to give yourself plenty of time. You can always stop at a store near her/his house and get a soft drink to kill time. Do NOT drink beer or other alcoholic beverages before going there.

11. If your child(ren) come to the door before they can be told to go back into the house, the first thing you say to them is, ”I love you and I have missed you.” They simply come first and must know that your absence has not been their fault and that you have not wanted to stay away.

12. DO NOT ARGUE with you ex- regardless of how hurt or angry you are or what you ex- has to say. Staying calm and recording the conversation is the smartest thing to do and will get her/him in the long run and make you and your child(ren) the winners.

STATEMENT TO MAKE AT THE DOOR

”I am here to exercise my visitation. Going by our court order, I am to pick up (child’s name) at this time. I have a copy of our divorce papers which says that this is my weekend with (child’s name). I miss him/her very much and want to be with him/her, and I know how much he/she miss me.”

If told that they have other plans, say, ”I can take them where they are going, if you will just tell me when and where.”

If told that you cannot see because they are sick, ask, ”What is wrong with (child’s name)? I will take his/her medicine with me and see that it is taken as ordered by the doctor.”

If you are still refused, say, ”I want to see (child’s name), and tell him/her that I am sorry he/she is sick. Who is the doctor so I can talk to him/her and see how (child’s name) is doing?”

If still refused, leave with the recorder running.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that uncle Lou is an expert in law because he went through a divorce three years ago. As a father in a divorce or custody battle, you must know your rights and what your options are.

If you don’t, you will be unable to recognize if your own attorney is performing properly, or agree to a settlement that will result in years of frustration. Ignorance is your worst enemy.

Sadly, too many dads come into our offices when their cases are out of control. They put too much trust in themselves, their attorney, or worse, their spouse’s attorney. It may be too late to turn a horror story around. We have found that dads who are pre-armed with proper information, planning, and support, can often achieve the initiative in their cases. This may mean the difference between having custody of your children or visiting with them 3 or 4 days a month.

Joining a local fathers’ rights group, if one is available, is one way to be informed. Your rights and obligations depend largely on individual state laws. Nevertheless, there are also a number of books written on the topic, many available through our own NFRC store. An excellent introduction is Fathers’ Rights (Perseus Books, 1998) by attorney Jeffery M. Leving with Kenneth A. Dachman. This book traces every aspect of the custody process from the courts to therapists’ couches, using real-life examples. Purchase it through our NFRC store. Knowledge is power. Even if you have a Ph.D., this book will give you a great start on your “Doctor of Divorce” degree; the most important degree you are likely to possess. You will also find helpful information on Fathers’ Rights by clicking on the links listed on the topic sections on the right and the left. If you don’t see what you are looking for, visit our contact page and send a personal note. We try to answer all e-mail requests promptly.

You can order any book imaginable through our NFRC bookstore . As an affiliate of Barnes and Noble, the National Fathers’ Resoucre Center gets a small but sigificant rebate from Barnes and Noble whenever you make a purchase through our NFRC link. Making all of your book purchases through our bookstore is one important way that you, your family, and your friends can provide vital support for the fathers’ rights movement.

• Persons with incomes less than $50,000 are more likely to represent themselves.
• About 20% of self-represented litigants report they can afford an attorney but do not want one.
• Self-represented persons are more likely to be satisfied with the judicial process than those who are represented by attorneys.
• Almost 75% of those who represented themselves in court said they would do it again.

This information is for persons who choose to, or must, represent themselves.

I am on both sides. I have custody of a daughter and I receive no support due to the fact the mother is a dead beat, who won’t pay a single penny. Nor does she see the child. I also have a son who I have been paying child support for 15 years or so. I am behind on my payments due to not working for a few years due to a car accident. Do you think the child support division takes that into consideration? No they don’t. I constantly get threats of jail if I don’t pay this or pay that. But when it comes to collecting for my daughter from her dead beat mom, I never hear from the child support division.

Is there a bias against men? There definitely is! I can say that from personal experience. They come after me with a crude passion to collect from me, but never lift a finger to collect for me. I am yet being dragged into court again this month. I guess they are going to try to raise my monthly payment. Yet I am making less than I was 5 years ago.

The only time I talk to someone from the child support division about my daughters case is when I call to tell them I found the mother. They tell me ok, we’ll see what we can do. Then I never hear from them until I call again. I am owed around $40,000 as of right now. You think they would be trying to help me collect that. No, the only time I hear from them is when they want more money from me for my son. I feel the system is one-sided for mothers, even when it is them that owe.

We, as men, need to come together and get our government to change the way they handle our cases as custodians. When I went to court and got sole custody of my daughter they gave me the final paperwork that had the mothers name scratched out as the custodian, and my name written in. So they don’t even have the computer program that does the paperwork set up to have the fathers as custodians. It’s all programmed to put the mothers information as the custodial parent. Something is definitely wrong with that.

If you would like to tell your story about your nightmares with the child support system go to the top of this website and click the tab “Your Story” and tell us about your interaction with the child support agency.

If you’d like to hear about the nightmare I went through to get custody of my 2 month old daughter then click “My Story” at the top of the website.