FULL STORY:  It’s hard being a parent these days, and not just because the kids are difficult . . .

A mom in rural Georgia got arrested for letting her 10-year-old son walk into town alone.  They live less than a mile away.

Her name is Brittany Patterson, and her son’s name is Soren.  He actually just turned 11 the other day.  They have a farm outside the small town of Mineral Bluff near the Tennessee border.  Only a few hundred people live there.

Back on October 30th, Brittany took her other kid to a doctor’s appointment, and thought Soren was playing in the woods on their farm.  But he’d actually decided to walk into town without telling anyone.

A random woman saw him on the side of a road, where the speed limit is only 35.  She asked if he was okay, and he said yes.  But she called the cops anyway.

Brittany got a call from police letting her know they’d picked him up.  They said he could have been hit by a car or kidnapped, but she didn’t think it was that big of a deal.  She says he’s plenty mature enough.

She gave him a talking to at home and thought that was it.  But later that night, cops showed back up to arrest her.  They CUFFED her in front of her three kids.

They charged her with reckless conduct and released her on $500 bail.  Then child services came out the next day for a welfare check.

They ended up suggesting the charges might be dropped if she agreed to sign something that said another adult would be a “safety person” and keep an eye on Soren when she’s not home.  She’d also have to put an app on his phone to track his location.

She refused and hired a lawyer instead.  A group called the National Association of Parents launched a GoFundMe to help with legal bills.

If the state of Georgia decides to pursue the charges, Brittany could face a $1,000 fine and up to a YEAR in jail. 

(Reason / Daily Mail) 

(Here’s a photo.)