State Seeks Help In Tracking Deadbeat Parents

Dana Hertneky, News 9

OKLAHOMA CITY – The state is hoping to track down Oklahomans who owe hundreds of thousands of dollars in child support by plastering their pictures all over the internet.

A new law that went into effect this week allows the state to publish on the web the pictures and information about parents who owe child support and can't be found, hoping that you know where they are.

10/31/2011 Related Story: DHS Launches Online Program To Find Deadbeat Oklahoma Parents

William Lake owes $214,118 in child support. Guadalupe J. Lazarin owes $129,609. Darren D. Whiteman owes $41,186.

The Oklahoma Department of Human Services wants you to take a good look at those men and all the others now on its Missing Parents web site.

"It's absolutely mind-blowing that these parents would make such an effort to avoid taking care of their children," said Jeff Wagner, spokesperson for Oklahoma Child Support Services.

The state says it has tried to find the men on the site, but can't. That's why it needs the public's help.

‘These are cases that cannot more forward without the public's assistance," said Wagner.

Currently there are 46 parents on the list, but DHS expects that number to grow quickly as it gets permission from custodial parents.

"There could literally be hundreds, if not thousands of names on this list eventually," said Wagner.

This method has proven to be very successful for the state in the past. It has a similar site called Most Wanted for deadbeat parents who have a warrant out for their arrest. In the eight years that site has been up, the public has helped find 600 parents.