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When it comes to dating in the electronic age, honesty really takes a beating. Nearly everyone who posts classified ads online describes themselves with adjectives like "attractive," "sexy" or even "hot," but an astute student of Internet dating knows people worthy of these descriptors wouldn't need to shill for dates in cyberspace.
I've had friends share war stories from dating's front lines about meeting "singles" who turn out to be married. I know women who've met otherwise swell guys, who are actually serial dads thousands of dollars in arrears in child support payments.
Luckily, for those local-and-looking, the Allegheny County Sheriff's Department has launched a successful Internet site designed to smoke out that particular breed of irresponsible playboy -- or playgirl. Launched in November, the site has received more than 20,000 hits and has helped track down dozens of deadbeat parents since its launch.
Acting Sheriff William Mullen recently told me the site was very labor intensive to create and must be updated constantly, but an electronic mug book is the best way to expose deadbeat parents. The problem is so widespread that in 2006, the County Sheriff's department issued more than 7,000 warrants to deadbeat parents, many of whom were repeat offenders with long histories of nonsupport. With just six sheriff's deputies working the child support detail, they were only able to arrest three to five offenders each day, Mullen said. The Internet site, however, has made that job far easier with the names, faces and zip codes of some of the week's worst offenders displayed for all to see. As a result, employers, family members and even a few girlfriends have located their long-missing mates on the Web.
Tracking down deadbeat dads has long fascinated this journalist who has interviewed men reluctant to provide their full names in fear of being identified by child support agencies. It's a problem that affects men from all walks of life, all races and income levels; in the past few months, I've met wealthy stockbrokers, middle-income motorcycle mechanics and penniless unemployed men all ducking their parental obligations.
So the next time you ladies find yourselves about to e-mail a reply to a potential online suitor, take a second and visit the deadbeat parents site first. It may save you a lot of trouble in the long run.
Mike Seate is a staff writer for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
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