A father has caused concern after he took his five-year-old son “away” in an attempt to prevent a scheduled surgery. The incident occurred on December 2nd in Utah, where Benjamin Despain, 45, picked up his son James from the child’s mother’s home in Bountiful for a visitation. Notably, Natalie, the mother, has sole physical and legal custody of James. According to reports, Benjamin, who does not have custody, has a history of domestic violence and mental illness.
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Following the visitation, when Natalie went to pick up James later that day, neither father nor son were at Benjamin’s residence. Concerns were raised further when Benjamin sent an email to Natalie stating that he had taken James “away” to avoid the scheduled surgery. The surgery in question was for the removal of James’s adenoids, set for December 4th. Benjamin has expressed opposition to the medical procedure, believing it to be unnecessary.
Natalie has shared that Benjamin had previously mentioned wanting to take James on a trip to learn about the Latter-day Saint church history by heading out east. Authorities are looking into the possibility of Benjamin taking James out of state, considering he has family in both Montana and Idaho. Despite Natalie’s fears about Benjamin’s mental state, there is no concrete evidence suggesting James is in immediate danger.
A day after Benjamin and James went missing, an ex-parte protective order was issued against Benjamin. However, serving him with the order has proven challenging due to his unknown whereabouts. James is described as 3 feet 11 inches tall, weighing around 47 pounds, with blonde hair. He was last seen donning a grey shirt featuring an astronaut rocket and green pants. Meanwhile, Benjamin is 6 feet tall, 185 pounds, with hazel eyes and brown hair.
The pair is believed to be travelling in a red 2006 Toyota Tacoma bearing Utah license plate 255PCJ, with a white trailer hitched to it, displaying license plate 017531Z. Authorities are actively seeking assistance from the public and urge anyone with information about the father and son’s whereabouts to contact Detective Williams at the Bountiful Police Department. Moreover, if you are experiencing domestic violence, do not hesitate to seek help from the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.
The situation has raised significant concerns within the community, as the search for James and Benjamin continues. Stay tuned for further updates on this developing story.