A former Rock Island, Illinois, resident, who moved to another country to practice medicine, has received a sentence of five years' probation over his unpaid child support and must pay more than $200,000 in back support.

His ex-wife and four children moved to a neighboring state. A U.S. District Court Judge also ordered the man to pay $209,000 to the state Child Support Recovery Unit for back support payments owed to his children and ex-wife.

In 2006, a judge had required the man to pay more than $2,100 a month in child support until his first child turned 19 years old. For every child who turned 19, the amount would diminish. There are still two children eligible to receive support, meaning the man should be paying $1,626 per month.

The judge said he ordered the man to serve probation so that he could work and pay child support and restitution to the state. How he will do that is unclear.

The Iowa medical board, where his ex-wife and children live, suspended his right to practice in July 2011 for failing to make payments to the Iowa Department of Revenue. Illinois officials also suspended his license, reportedly because of difficulties paying state taxes.

After being forced to turn in his passport, he cannot return to work as a doctor in New Zealand. The U.S. State Department turned down a new passport application because Iowa state officials had reported he was more than $2,500 in arrears in child support.

Additionally, his travel also has been restricted to Illinois and Iowa. The case highlights the difficulty facing someone who stops paying child support. If one cannot afford payments, they should consult with a family law attorney, who could help in getting payment modification.

Source: Department of Justice, United States Attorney of Southern District of Iowa, "Greenfield Man Sentenced on Federal Charges for Failure to Pay Child Support," Jan. 18, 2012