Filed under: News
Jermaine Jackson is visiting Africa but is stuck and he can't leave. Why?
Since Jackson owes double-digit thousands of dollars in back child support, the U.S. government will not issue him a new passport until he pays up.
The 56-year-old entertainer is currently in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso in West Africa. Jackson's ex wife and the mother of his two sons, Alejandra Genevieve Oaziaza, got a child support order back in May 2008 that demanded $3,000 a month in payments. Jackson, who has cried broke almost since the beginning of the court order went into arrears because he claimed that his monthly income falls below $1,100.
The former Jackson 5 member went to the L.A. County Superior Court and petitioned to have the monthly support payments lowered to $215 but unfortunately for him, the monthly obligation did not budge. His claims that Oaziaza was in a much better financial situation than he was fell on legal deaf ears.
So as it stands, Jackson, whose passport expired while visiting Africa, owes his ex a whopping $91,921 in back child support payments. California law states that if a person owes more than $2,500 in back child support, the State Department of Child Support Services immediately reports it to the FBI. The agency then red flags the delinquent parent's passport and once it expires it cannot be renewed until the outstanding account is paid in full. Translation, Jackson is stuck in Africa until he can hatch a plan to get out.
At this point, the American Embassy could still come to Jackson's rescue. In situations like these, temporary papers can be issued to help get a person back to the U.S. but this is usually done on a case-by-case basis.
Wasn't it only last month that Jackson also had his driver's license confiscated over his failure to pay child support?
Well for one thing, Jackson would want to come back to attend the preliminary hearing of Dr. Conrad Murray, who is stands accused of killing his brother Michael. The hearing began on January 4 and will go on for approximately two weeks at the L.A. County Superior Court where a judge will decide if there is enough evidence to hold a full trial.
In the meantime, "Pay up Jermaine and you'll be sprung!"