Current Massachusetts law allows men to seek custody of children they father during a rape. Now, a convicted child rapist is using that leverage to try and get out from under a court imposed support agreement.
The Massachusetts woman, identified only as H.T., was 14 when she was raped by a then 20 year-old Jaime Melendez. As Courthouse News reported, “Her convicted rapist, Jaime Melendez, expressed no interest in the child until a judge ordered him to pay $110 a week in support….” That, per another report at Business Insider.
Convicted rapist Melendez received 16 years probation for his crime. When hit with the support order, he filed a petition in family court saying he would give up his pursuit of visitation rights if the court removed the support order. In essence, Melendez appears to be using Mass. law to force his victim to go to court and spend her and her family’s time and money to get him out from under any support arrangements.