Let's take you out to Harnett County, North Carolina, where one of those picture-perfect modern families has hit a bit of a snag.
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Yup, Joshua Lee Gilliam, 39, and Ronald Wayne Lynch Jr., 39 - a married gay couple who proudly raised five sons, one of them acquired through surrogacy - found themselves on the wrong side of the law after that thing that never happens happened again.
Tips from the Internet Crimes Against Children database came pouring in and investigators executed a search warrant at the couple's home in Erwin, North Carolina. Multiple electronic devices were seized, and what they allegedly found was enough to charge both men with first-degree sexual exploitation of a minor.
Here's a local news report:
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North Carolina commentator Matt Van Swol added this:
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Gilliam picked up extra charges: First-degree statutory sexual offense and indecent liberties with a minor. He's being held with no bond. Lynch also faces a second-degree exploitation count and posted a $360,000 secured bond.
The Harnett County Sheriff's Office had this to say:
The Harnett County Sheriff's Office continues to work closely with the NCSBI and partner agencies to investigate crimes involving the exploitation of children and to ensure the safety and protection of victims and citizens of Harnett County.
More info:
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It's unclear right now exactly which of the young boys may have been victimized, but authorities have reportedly identified at least two victims so far, and the kids are in protective custody as the investigation continues.
Regardless, we're constantly told that gay couples raising children is not just equivalent to, but somehow superior to the boring old mom-and-dad model. But the thing that never happens just happened again, and it's starting to get old.
Pray for those boys, and - you know what? - pray for the men too.
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