Dec 5, 2007 6:50 am US/Pacific
Child Abuse Queries In Spears' Case
LOS ANGELES (AP) ―
-
-
Britney Spears, whose every errand is trailed by a mob of celebrity photographers, is notorious for distracted driving. (File)
Getty Images/Getty Images
Child welfare investigators are looking into "multiple child abuse
and neglect" allegations in the custody battle between Britney Spears
and ex-husband Kevin Federline, according to court documents released
Tuesday.
In a request to unseal parts of the case file, an attorney for the
Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services wrote
that there are concerns about the safety and welfare of the two
toddlers, Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1, if they are left in
their mother's care.
Though the agency mentioned investigating referrals relating to Federline, the documents don't provide details.
After-hour calls to attorneys representing Spears and Federline were not immediately returned.
The agency requested the court not alter the current custody and
visitation arrangements until their investigation is completed.
Federline has temporary custody of the boys after Spears defied court
orders about regular drug testing.
The latest tidbits on the custody battle are in 300 pages of
documents released by Los Angeles Superior Court Commissioner Scott M.
Gordon.
The document dump included previous court rulings, expense reports
and income statements for both parents, the names of the custody
evaluators selected by Spears' and Federline's attorneys and their
detailed resumes.
Spears had asked the court to seal the custody and visitation
schedules in a declaration filed in October, arguing that "such
information greatly increases the chances that the actions of the media
could threaten the safety of the children by, for example, causing a
traffic accident."
Spears, whose every errand is trailed by a mob of celebrity
photographers, is notorious for distracted driving. She is under
investigation for injuring a sheriff's deputy while exiting the
downtown courthouse in her white Mercedes.
In 2006, she was photographed driving with her son on her lap.
In October, she pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor charge of
driving without a valid driver's license and later obtained a temporary
California license.
A misdemeanor hit-and-run charge from an August parking lot crash
was dismissed after she paid an undisclosed amount to the car's owner.
Spears pays Federline $15,000 per month in child support, and previous court rulings have said that he currently has no income.
(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
