Rape victim ordered to pay her abuser child support

[Don2 (Don1 Revised)]

Then you really had no business opining about anything.

According to @Jimmy Higgins , that's what the thread is about.
I quoted it.
Tom

You admitted you did know what you were talking about. There is no need to reinforce your admission - everyone here agrees with you.

Yeah.
That's kinda that difference between me and most posters on this thread

I distinguish between what I have reasons to believe and what I just make up because it suits my ideology.
Tom

Lol

This is getting surreal, isn't it?

 

[Toni]

Then you really had no business opining about anything.

According to @Jimmy Higgins , that's what the thread is about.
I quoted it.
Tom

You admitted you did know what you were talking about. There is no need to reinforce your admission - everyone here agrees with you.

Yeah.
That's kinda that difference between me and most posters on this thread

I distinguish between what I have reasons to believe and what I just make up because it suits my ideology.
Tom

Lol

This is getting surreal, isn't it?

I thought it was great to see Jokodo.

 

[laughing dog]

Your posting history in this thread does not support your belief.

I'm sure you believe that.
Tom

I know it.

 

[laughing dog]

Your posting history in this thread does not support your belief.

I'm sure you believe that.
Tom

I know it due to the abundant evidence in this thread.

 

[IIDB Staff]

If your post is not about the custody case, but is about other posters in the thread - you are off-topic with insults, ad homs and sniping. This thread is under review for derails. Don’t be the derail.

 

[Elixir]

Does anyone who doesn’t think the rapist was a good custodial choice have a strong opinion of what should have happened to the child?

 

[Jarhyn]

Does anyone who doesn’t think the rapist was a good custodial choice have a strong opinion of what should have happened to the child?

That she should go to the mother pending her own decision to do so, and following that have social services visit regularly to make sure the home life there is functional.

Failing that, the child should be asked by all those willing to take care of her who she wishes to have do so.

Repeat from "regular social worker visits".

 

[TomC]

Does anyone who doesn’t think the rapist was a good custodial choice have a strong opinion of what should have happened to the child?

This has been kinda my point throughout this thread.

The family court made an extremely unusual decision. They awarded custody of a 16 y/o Daughter to the father, over the objections of the mother.

It's possible that this was some "good ole boy" corruption thing. But the court had to know that the decision would be heavily scrutinized.
My guess is that Daughter wanted it. For whatever reason, D convinced the court that Abelseth wasn't as good a parent as Barnes. It's possible that a family court overruled the opinions of both the mother and daughter in this matter due to corruption. But it's more likely that Abelseth wasn't a very good parent, D wanted custody awarded to her father, and that is what the court decided.
Tom

ETA ~My main point throughout this thread is that I don't claim to know what caused the court to rule as it did. Neither does anyone else on this forum.~

 

[Rhea]

My guess is that Daughter wanted it. For whatever reason, D convinced the court that Abelseth wasn't as good a parent as Barnes. It's possible that a family court overruled the opinions of both the mother and daughter in this matter due to corruption. But it's more likely that Abelseth wasn't a very good parent, D wanted custody awarded to her father, and that is what the court decided.

I am flummoxed on how you can think this is a viable hypothesis given:

The documents were unsealed in Tangipahoa Parish Wednesday evening and detail a years-long custody process beginning in 2011 when John Barnes found out he had a daughter with Crysta Abelseth.

In April 2013, Barnes began paying Abelseth $428 in child support for the daughter he fathered after a night of drinking. In July 2015, Crysta filed a police report for the 2005 rape that led to her daughter’s birth with the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriffs Office. That report sat on their shelf and was not assigned to a detective for seven years.

In August 2015, Judge Jeffrey Cashe was assigned the case.

Six months after Cashe took over the case, a split-custody agreement was reached, and he ordered Abelseth to pay $78.41 to Barnes increasing to $117.72 per month the following year.

Four years went by and nothing happened in the court record. Then, in December 2020, Barnes filed a motion to modify custody alleging his daughter is allowed to be unsupervised with her boyfriend in Abelseth’s home.

In January 2021, the child’s school counselor notified DCFS as a mandatory reporter that the child alleged Barnes physically and mentally abused her. Abelseth requested that Barnes custody be limited. Judge Cashe denied that motion.

By November, Barnes filed motions to have Abelseth held in contempt over a cell phone.

On Feb. 2, 2022, Cashe found Abelseth in contempt over the phone and ordered her to pay $500. Abelseth was instructed not to provide her daughter with a cell phone.

That same month— court records note for the first time that the child was conceived from a rape. It’s also alleged that Barnes drugged and sexually assaulted his daughter on Feb. 21, 2022 and Feb. 22, 2022.

“She was transported to New Orleans where she was evaluated and the doctor confirmed that there was evidence of forced entry congruent with sexual assault,” the document reads.

On March 18, 2022, Judge Cashe dismisses all of Abelseth’s claims saying all criminal charges have not been accepted and the evidence does not support the allegations made by the daughter.

Court records were not clear on what evidence led the judge to make his decision. An abuse advocate for Abelseth tells WBRZ the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office has not cooperated with the family over the location of the daughter's rape kit. The sheriff's office, once again, did not respond to requests for comment Thursday.

Well, the dad sounds like a real piece of work. Anyone else ready to defend him?

In rape paternity dispute, judge awarded child custody to alleged abusive father despite assault complaints

UPDATE: During a hearing Tuesday, Judge Jeffrey Cashe revoked custody of the Crysta Abelseth's daughter from the teen's biological father, John Barnes. A trial is set for July 15 where a final decision on custody will be made.

www.wbrz.com

Which brings us back to….

So now we learn that there is a medical examination confirming that the daughter was raped.

I always wonder, at moments like this, whether people who previously gave excuses for the scumbag will

1. Continue to do so
2. Decide this is bad for the daughter, but continue to think they were justified and did no harm in previously accusing the mother of lying
3. Have a wholly new outlook on the matter, as if their first reaction never happened
   
   Or
   
   
4. Actually reflect on their first reaction and decide it was regrettable.

And the continued (pretty revolting) claim that

My guess is that Daughter wanted it.

 

[TomC]

I am flummoxed on how you can think this is a viable hypothesis

I don't believe much of anything I read on the internet.
Do you believe stuff you read posted by Harvestdancer, Trausti, Metaphor, or TSwizzle?
I don't.
Tom

 

[Arctish]

What Rhea said.

Also, is there anyone here who truly believes a teenager would choose to live with someone who doesn't allow them to have a cell phone, and punished their mother for getting them one?

That girl was probably the only one in her school who didn't have a phone. She was cut off from the text exchanges, Tik Tok videos, Instagram pictures, etc. that everyone else in her social circle was sharing. And all because her mother's rapist father was being a controlling a-hole.

 

[laughing dog]

I am flummoxed on how you can think this is a viable hypothesis

I don't believe much of anything I read on the internet.
Do you believe stuff you read posted by Harvestdancer, Trausti, Metaphor, or TSwizzle?
I don't.
Tom

That is a curious response and I wonder how you think people ought to interpret it.

Rhea asked how you can come to your belief - a request for an explanation so that readers can understand. Your response

"
I don't believe much of anything I read on the internet.
Do you believe stuff you read posted by Harvestdancer, Trausti, Metaphor, or TSwizzle?
I don't." suggests that readers should place you in the same category of those names and disbelieve what you write. In otherwords, it can be interpreted as an admission of trolling.

Or are you suggesting that your questioned belief is not based on what has been posted on the internet? Do you have access to facts that are not on internet (i.e. believable ones)? If so, it would seem prudent to share them. Otherwise, your response can be taken to contradict your repeated instruction that people who don't know all the facts should refrain from drawing conclusions.

 

[TomC]

I am flummoxed on how you can think this is a viable hypothesis

I don't believe much of anything I read on the internet.
Do you believe stuff you read posted by Harvestdancer, Trausti, Metaphor, or TSwizzle?
I don't.
Tom

That is a curious response and I wonder how you think people ought to interpret it.

Rhea asked how you can come to your belief - a request for an explanation so that readers can understand. Your response

"
I don't believe much of anything I read on the internet.
Do you believe stuff you read posted by Harvestdancer, Trausti, Metaphor, or TSwizzle?
I don't." suggests that readers should place you in the same category of those names and disbelieve what you write. In otherwords, it can be interpreted as an admission of trolling.

Or are you suggesting that your questioned belief is not based on what has been posted on the internet? Do you have access to facts that are not on internet (i.e. believable ones)? If so, it would seem prudent to share them. Otherwise, your response can be taken to contradict your repeated instruction that people who don't know all the facts should refrain from drawing conclusions.

If your post is not about the custody case, but is about other posters in the thread - you are off-topic with insults, ad homs and sniping. This thread is under review for derails. Don’t be the derail.

Have a nice day.

 

[Rhea]

ETA ~My main point throughout this thread is that I don't claim to know what caused the court to rule as it did. Neither does anyone else on this forum.~

On the contrary, the linked article says so. So those who read the article do know. To wit:

In a rare move, Judge Jeffrey Cashe attached a reason why he ruled. That was filed into the court record late Wednesday night, claiming Abelseth never alleged she was abused until Barnes asked to have her held in contempt.

Although many people find it easier to blame the victim than read the case reports, and clearly “not reading the reports” is exactly what the Police did.

In tracing this case back to the time the initial complaint was filed on July 1, 2015, it was discovered that the report never made it through the proper channels within the department to be assigned for investigation. Therefore, our department absolutely dropped the ball, and we simply must own our mistake. This is a mistake, however, that simply has never been a problem before or since, and we must make sure to keep it that way.

Right. Right. Never been a problem before or since, but this one case, how astonighing that they just forgot about it for the only time, ever! Anyway, it told the victim that the police were not there for her, and now the judge claims she never alleged abuse, but she had - seven years before.

“The Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office has reviewed and identified the breakdown in operations relating to the initial complaint filed by the complainant. Since that time, enhancements to department procedures have been implemented and measures put in place to ensure reports from the public never go overlooked or mishandled. Especially those cases alleging criminal acts against our youth.” says Edwards. "The Sheriff’s Office is dedicated to protecting children and will do everything possible to protect the youth of our community from abuse and neglect.”

Additionally, it is important to note that the complainant did not follow up on this matter until April of 2022.

Because you let her down, you reprehensible asshole.


Back to IIDB, bear in mind also that readers of this thread have known for nine months, and over 500 posts; from the news item on this case in Jun of 2022 and posted by Ziprhead: quoted in part above, that:

UPDATE: During a hearing Tuesday, Judge Jeffrey Cashe revoked custody of the Crysta Abelseth's daughter from the teen's biological father, John Barnes. A trial is set for July 15 where a final decision on custody will be made.

That even the judge realized how fucked up it was to award custody to the man accused of raping both of them.


But even though readers of this thread have known since last June all of this info, there are still those who claim not enough information is available to conclude that Barnes is the asshole here. The criminal, rapist asshole with support from the Police and the courts.

Till the light shined on it and the court was forced to say, “oops!” And schedule a new hearing.


And finally, to follow up, the July 2022 court case is now complete and:

On Friday, Tangipahoa County Judge Jeffrey Cashe ruled that the girl would remain placed with guardians approved by both parents. Mr Barnes was barred from initiating contact or visitation with his daughter. Ms Abelseth was ordered to take parenting classes and allowed visitation at the least on the first weekend of the month and possibly with more frequency if agreed to by the child and guardians.

[the Judge] later added: “According to pleadings filed herein, the minor child desires to remain with [her guardians] and wants an improved relationship with Ms Abelseth but does not want to continue with her relationship with Mr Barnes.”

Judge Cashe did, however, agree to “insulate Ms Abelseth from ongoing custodial interactions with Mr Barnes.
He did not, however, legally terminate Mr Barnes’ parental rights, musing upon Louisiana felony rape law.

(The retention of his parental rights was stated as due the the fact that the Judge did not feel the evidence supported a forced rape, but rather “Felony Carnal Knowledge of a Minor”)



So that’s the ruling of the person who initially made her pay child support. BArrnes is he asshole and may not initiate contact with “his” daughter.

As for Abelseth,

She also said she felt let down by the justice system, which seemingly left her rape allegations uninvestigated or untouched for an extremely long time.

“This is the only time I’ve ever had to deal with, basically, law enforcement at all – and it’s not a great first experience.”

The overall trauma of which would affect a teen person’s parenting skill.

 

[laughing dog]

I am flummoxed on how you can think this is a viable hypothesis

I don't believe much of anything I read on the internet.
Do you believe stuff you read posted by Harvestdancer, Trausti, Metaphor, or TSwizzle?
I don't.
Tom

That is a curious response and I wonder how you think people ought to interpret it.

Rhea asked how you can come to your belief - a request for an explanation so that readers can understand. Your response

"
I don't believe much of anything I read on the internet.
Do you believe stuff you read posted by Harvestdancer, Trausti, Metaphor, or TSwizzle?
I don't." suggests that readers should place you in the same category of those names and disbelieve what you write. In otherwords, it can be interpreted as an admission of trolling.

Or are you suggesting that your questioned belief is not based on what has been posted on the internet? Do you have access to facts that are not on internet (i.e. believable ones)? If so, it would seem prudent to share them. Otherwise, your response can be taken to contradict your repeated instruction that people who don't know all the facts should refrain from drawing conclusions.

If your post is not about the custody case, but is about other posters in the thread - you are off-topic with insults, ad homs and sniping. This thread is under review for derails. Don’t be the derail.

Have a nice day.

Thank you for the clarifications.

 

[Arctish]

In January 2021, the child’s school counselor notified DCFS as a mandatory reporter that the child alleged Barnes physically and mentally abused her. Abelseth requested that Barnes custody be limited. Judge Cashe denied that motion.

By November, Barnes filed motions to have Abelseth held in contempt over a cell phone.

On Feb. 2, 2022, Cashe found Abelseth in contempt over the phone and ordered her to pay $500. Abelseth was instructed not to provide her daughter with a cell phone.

That same month— court records note for the first time that the child was conceived from a rape. It’s also alleged that Barnes drugged and sexually assaulted his daughter on Feb. 21, 2022 and Feb. 22, 2022.

I had thought the daughter telling the school counselor her father abused her is what led to the examination at the hospital, but I see now those two incidents happened more than a year apart.

Wtf is the Tangipahoa Sheriff's Dept. doing with these reports?

 

[Toni]

In January 2021, the child’s school counselor notified DCFS as a mandatory reporter that the child alleged Barnes physically and mentally abused her. Abelseth requested that Barnes custody be limited. Judge Cashe denied that motion.

By November, Barnes filed motions to have Abelseth held in contempt over a cell phone.

On Feb. 2, 2022, Cashe found Abelseth in contempt over the phone and ordered her to pay $500. Abelseth was instructed not to provide her daughter with a cell phone.

That same month— court records note for the first time that the child was conceived from a rape. It’s also alleged that Barnes drugged and sexually assaulted his daughter on Feb. 21, 2022 and Feb. 22, 2022.

I had thought the daughter telling the school counselor her father abused her is what led to the examination at the hospital, but I see now those two incidents happened more than a year apart.

Wtf is the Tangipahoa Sheriff's Dept. doing with these reports?

Nothing. That's what they are doing with these reports.

 

[Jarhyn]

I am flummoxed on how you can think this is a viable hypothesis

I don't believe much of anything I read on the internet.
Do you believe stuff you read posted by Harvestdancer, Trausti, Metaphor, or TSwizzle?
I don't.
Tom

I also don't reject it out-of-hand. Rather, I dig for a more complete story because I know they like to leave out details or put spin on things.

Usually, there is a pretty easily uncovered truth to the situation that Bad Faith is trying to repaint and spin.

The easily uncovered truth was that the girl had been raped and reported on the rapist, the same rapist who raped her mother at her age.

I would much more assume "corrupt judge" in a case with a rich guy who used his connections to that judge in the past to level threats against the mother.

That's the reality inside the courtroom: its corrupt magistrate.

Usually, these kinds of details can be gleaned by carefully reading those same sources supplied in bad faith.

There's a difference between "not believing" so doing a fact check, and "not believing" so as to dismiss valid information in bad faith.

 

[Emily Lake]

Maybe you mean "Don't decide who is at fault or what the problem is until you've got ALL the information, not just claims that support your preconceived notions"?

Except you DO seem to have decided - you've decided in favor of Barnes. Your position hasn't been "let's wait and see", your position has been "She was drunk and had a fake ID, so it's fine that Barnes gets custody and Abelseth has to pay child support to him".

 

[Emily Lake]

Does anyone who doesn’t think the rapist was a good custodial choice have a strong opinion of what should have happened to the child?

Unless there is very strong evidence of neglect of abuse that hasn't been shared by the courts, I would be inclined to leave the 16 year old with her mother (where she's been her whole life), even if that includes regular visits from social services.

If there is very good reason to remove her from her mother, I'd lean toward a grandparent or other family member rather than the father - there's simply too many reasonable objections to the father, including objections from the daughter herself. At 16, she's old enough to have some input into the decision - not full input, as she is still a minor, but her perspective should be included.