According to the PJ Media story he didn't have legal custody of his daughter, he just took custody of her but never served the mother with papers. The story also highlights the fact that disputes between many single parents, personal disputes often result in one parent harassing the other through any means possible. Since this is a one sided story where the custody of the child was returned to the mother who lives in another state there's no clear indication other than his word that he didn't originally kidnap the child from her mother also. It's not uncommon from state to state or county to county for regulations to vary as to whom should have custody, one of the reason's many states prohibit parents from taking children out of the state or even county in which they live, without legal paperwork defining who has legal custody some states/counties will not intervene in these disputes. I feel bad that he lost custody of his daughter but I would also feel really bad if I found out down the line that he took the child from the mother. Sad situation for everyone concerned, especially the daughter.