South Mississippi man guilty of child desertion, ordered to pay thousands
A South Mississippi man has been ordered to pay $38,545 in back child support after pleading guilty to a felony charge of desertion of a child, according to the state Attorney General’s office.
Michael T. Stringfield Jr., 44, was indicted by a Stone County grand jury in the case for failing to pay child support over nearly a four-year period, the charging document says.
On May 26, Circuit Court Judge Lisa Dodson sentenced Stringfield to five years in prison for the crime, but suspended the prison time, leaving him five years to serve under post-release supervision.
“Parents have a legal and moral obligation to support their children, and I will continue to hold them accountable when they fail to meet those responsibilities,” Attorney General Lynn Fitch said. “I am grateful for the dedicated prosecutors and law enforcement officers of my office and our partners at the Mississippi Department of Human Services for working hard to ensure Mississippi children get the support they deserve.”
The Attorney General’s Office, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department and state Department of Human Services investigated the case.
