U.S. Couple Abandons Internet Adoption
L I T T L E R O C K, Ark., March 7 -- The California couple who fought aBritish couple for the right to adopt 8-month-old twin girls bowedout of the fight today to concentrate on regaining custody of a2-year-old boy.
Richard and Vickie Allen of Highland, Calif., lost custody ofthe boy, whom they are trying to adopt, after Allen was accusedlast week of molesting two family baby-sitters. Allen, 49, pleadedinnocent.
On Tuesday, the Arkansas judge who had approved the Britishcouple's adoption of the little girls nullified his decision,saying the adoption was obtained fraudulently.
Babies Offered For Adoption Online
Until today, the Allens had been battling Alan and JudithKilshaw of Britain for custody of the girls, who had been put upfor adoption over the Internet.
Richard Allen said in a telephone interview today that heand his wife will no longer fight for the twins.
"We would have loved to be able to have been considered asadopted parents of the girls," Allen said. "But with all thematters that are going on here, it would be inappropriate for us toput too much effort into that."
The Allens had cared for the babies for a month and a half last fallwhen the girls' birth mother, Tranda Wecker, retrieved them and hadthem adopted by the Kilshaws in Arkansas.
Judge: Birth Mother ‘Committed Fraud’
On Tuesday, Pulaski County Probate Judge Mackie Pierce nullifiedthe Kilshaws' adoption, saying neither they nor Tranda Wecker metArkansas' 30-day residency requirement. "Miss Wecker committedfraud and intentionally misled and deceived a number of people,"Pierce said.
Pierce urged British authorities to return the twins to theUnited States for further proceedings on who should get custody.British officials said they will consider his ruling.
Tranda Wecker's lawyer, Gloria Allred, denied that her clientcommitted fraud.
The Kilshaws said they will appeal the judge's ruling.
The Allens said they paid an Internet adoption service $6,000for the right to adopt the girls. The Kilshaws said they paid$12,000.
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