A New Jersey appeals court has ruled that a divorced woman can take
her daughter to a new home on the opposite side of the US and rely
on the internet as the primary means of communication between her
former husband and their daughter, according to a report by
Associated Press.
Kyron Henn-Lee planned to take their nine-year old daughter
Katherine to California from their former home in New Jersey. Her
ex-husband, Thomas McCoy, objected to his ex-wife’s proposal that a
web site with video capability could be built to let him
communicate with Katherine.
The appeals court described the proposal as a “creative and
innovative” way to keep in touch, reversing a lower court’s
decision to reject the proposal. In addition, Mr McCoy is entitled
to spend 66 days per year with his daughter.
The president of the US Children’s Rights Council attacked the
ruling which is believed to be the first case involving internet
visitation rights. David Levy told Associated Press: “It’s totally
unacceptable. The parent did not give birth to an internet
baby.”
