An Iowa man says he is being forced to pay for support for a child that isn't his, and says despite DNA evidence that proves he's not the father, he is still ordered to pay up.
"I've been to Des Moines, I've been to the child support recovery unit. I've been in six or seven offices where they just slam the doors in my face," Willie Shorter said.
He produced results from a DNA test conducted by a lab back in 1998, where another man was pronounced the biological father with a 99.98 probability.
"They told me they can't use this information. They told me I have to get a lawyer," he said.
Shorter says he did not raise the child, who is now about 22 years old. Documents he provided show he has paid a little over $5,000 to the state, and owes just over another $5,000, which is being taken out of his check.
Shorter has several stents and suffers from serious heart problems. He is on disability and lives in a low-income high rise.
He has owed back child support for 6 kids, and the money is being taken out of his Social Security check.
But, he can't understand, why he has to pay for a child who is not his, and says he knows there are other men who are in the same boat.
"Why child support can come and take our money from us, just take it, when we have proof sitting in front of them? I pay child support, I don't have a problem with paying support for my kids. I do have a problem for a kid that's not mine. We gotta get our voice heard," he said.
He did go to the local Iowa Legal Aid office in Davenport last month, but learned that he is legally too late to challenge the payments.
"It is only possible under Iowa law to do this during the time the child is under 18 and entitled for current support. Despite any genetic testing information that you have in your possession, Iowa code bars the filing of any petition to disestablish you as the father of D-----o, because he is now well over the age of 18 years. Thus all of the support previously ordered remains due, and it is too late to take any legal action to change the order," the attorney wrote.
"I just want my story told about what Iowa and child support is doing to me", he said.
He hopes to try to organize other men to try to get some laws changed.
"I'm going to keep fighting til my voice is heard," he said.