Here is one for you. A man says a woman got pregnant by tricking him. How? In a way you may not think possible. Now his legal question, if he is the father, does he have to financially support the child? It’s tonight’s Help Me Howard with Patrick Fraser and the subject matter may offend some people.
Nothing unusual about this. Alex Williams is a father.
Alex Williams: “He’s my only son. I have three daughters and I have four children total.”
What’s unusual is when a woman told Alex he also had a fifth child.
Alex Williams: “I didn’t date her. We had casual sex. Protected, casual sex. One time deal.”
They had one encounter. A year passed.
Alex Williams: “I ran into this young lady again and at that time she told me that the child she had in her arms was my child.”
Alex first thought that’s impossible.
Alex Williams: “So I immediately asked her, ‘How could this be my child if you and I had protected sex?’ You wanna know the answer?”
Yeah we do, Alex. How did she say she got pregnant if you were wearing a condom?
Alex Williams: “The answer was, ‘I took the contents out of the rubber and I impregnated myself. This is your child.'”
Alex’s reaction.
Alex Williams: “My first thought was you gotta be crazy or you gotta be playing a real malicious joke.”
The woman swore she was telling the truth. Alex believed her.
Alex Williams: “Which still, that sounds a little far fetched, but I have heard situations where women have done this and have had children.”
She would then call Alex once in awhile to ask for money. Alex says he felt obligated.
Alex Williams: “”Being the responsible man that I am, if that’s your child, you take care of your child.”
Then she decided she wanted a lot more money, Alex said wait.
Alex Williams: “And I was not gonna give anybody any more money untill we found out 100 percent that this child was mine.”
The woman took Alex to court where the magistrate wanted a DNA test to conclusively prove Alex was the baby’s father.
Phoebee Francois: “We are here on Peterson vs Williams. Case number 145521.”
But before we get the DNA results, lets get to Alex’s question. Howard, if the woman did get pregnant by what Alex calls trickery, is he financially responsible for the child?
Howard Finkelstein: “Yes. If you have sex with a woman and it results in a child, even if the woman used trickery, fraud or deceit, you are still the father and can be held responsible for child support. It’s based on the principle that the courts will do what’s in the best interest of the child, not the father or mother.”
Phoebee Francois: “Do you swear the testimony you are about to give is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?
Alex Williams: “Yes I do.”
The woman didn’t show up in court to hear the results from the DNA test.
Phoebee Francois: “There is a zero percent probability that you are the father of this child. Therefore, I am going to find that you are not the legal father of this child.”
Alex was relieved he is not required to pay child support, but irritated at what he had gone thru.
Alex Williams: “There has got to be something that can protect men and women from these type of situations.”
There is no law against a woman impregnating herself, but the magistrate did offer some advice.
Phoebee Francois: “Next time you make sure you leave with the rubber. You walk in with the rubber, you leave with the rubber and you flush it down the toilet.”
Alex then went home with the words “Zero percent chance you are the father” ringing in his ears.
Alex Williams: “Beautiful words. Like a song. Sweet Jesus, I love you. I am feeling like a steak and lobster man right now.”
Patrick Fraser: “I spoke to the woman. She told me she never did what Alex says she did to get pregnant. That it wasn’t a one time hookup, they had a two-year relationship. Sometimes he wore a condom, sometimes he didn’t. The woman told me she now knows who the child’s father must be, but she can’t find him.”
Forget the bad puns and play on words on this one, all they would get me is in trouble. Anyway, you need help, we are here.
With this Help Me Howard, I’m Patrick Fraser, 7News.
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