According to reports, the rapper known as DMX was arrested on June 28 for allegedly failing to pay child support. The 44-year-old was just about to perform at a New York event when he was taken into custody at approximately 10:30 p.m.
A representative for the New York City Sheriff’s Department said the man, whose real name is Earl Simmons, was apprehended for “issues outstanding,” including $400,000 in back child support payments. Other issues reportedly included an arrest warrant issued by White Plains for bail jumping, an aggravated unlicensed motor vehicle operator complaint in Yonkers and an alleged robbery in Newark, New Jersey. DMX had been scheduled to appear at the Masters of Ceremony concert at Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan.
Typically, authorities only threaten jail time as a last resort to obtain delinquent child support payments. Before an arrest is made, a noncustodial parent’s pay is usually garnished or their bank accounts are seized. The amount of child support is normally determined in accordance with guidelines that, among other things, take the noncustodial parent’s income into account. If there is later a change in the individual’s ability to pay the ordered child support amount, a modification may be sought through the courts.
Any New York parent who is having trouble obtaining child support payments from a noncustodial parent may benefit by consulting with an attorney. Legal counsel could carefully review the case and recommend the best course of action given the circumstances. It may be possible to make arrangements that are in the best interests of the child before the harshest collection methods become necessary.
Source: FOX News, “Rapper DMX arrested in New York City over unpaid child support,” June 28, 2015