My son has custody of my grandson. His mother, who lives in North Carolina, recently bought a house just a block away from a registered sex offender. I’m very uncomfortable with my grandson going there. What can I do about this situation?

Q: My 7-year-old grandson has behavioral issues and has experienced emotional abuse from his mother in the past. My son currently has custody of him, which was granted after her previous boyfriend physically abused her in front of the child and was using marijuana. That situation played a major role in the court’s decision. Now, two years later, a judge has granted the mother six weeks of summer visitation. This would involve sending my grandson to North Carolina, even though previous visitations were only allowed in New York or New Jersey. We just found out—through our attorney—that her new boyfriend also has a criminal record, something she claimed not to know. This is eerily similar to the past situation. To make matters worse, she recently bought a house just a block away from a registered sex offender. My son also has a restraining order against this new boyfriend, who has been badmouthing him through emails. Despite all of this, the judge still expanded her visitation rights. We’re very concerned for my grandson’s safety and emotional well-being. We’re in the process of appealing the decision, but every step costs more money. She isn’t even using a lawyer, yet it feels like the court is still ruling in her favor. How can the judge overlook these serious red flags and allow more unsupervised time with her? Are we really expected to feel comfortable sending him there?

A: It’s hard to say what the rationale of the Judge was without a review of the court file & complete history of the case. If there’s a basis to change the order, then one would need to file a modification petition & get back before the Judge. Schedule a consult with a Bronx Child Custody attorney for a full assessment.