Mom, 17, Jailed for Shielding Paternity
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OCALA, Fla. — A 17-year-old mother was jailed for eight hours until she identified the father of her baby.
The girl had been called into court to answer questions about a police officer charged with having sex with her while she was underage.
At first, she told the judge it was none of his business who fathered her 5-month-old daughter. Circuit Court Judge Carven Angel found her in contempt of court last week and ordered her jailed for 179 days or until she answered whether 36-year-old Cpl. Salvador Armando Garcia is the father.
She finally identified Garcia as the father. She said she relented because prosecutors had implied she could lose custody of her child. The girl said that her relationship with Garcia was consensual and that she led him to believe she was 19.
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