International kidnapping case gets heated during virtual court hearing
TAMPA, Fla. - Tears and accusations were all part of a contentious custody hearing involving Tampa mother Rachelle Smith and her child’s father, Ali Salamey.
The custody battle turned into an international incident back in August of 2018 when Salamey was accused of kidnapping his son, then-4-year-old Dexter, and taking him to Lebanon.
Heartbroken and desperate to get her son back, Rachelle Smith went public with her pleas for help. She even flew to Washington D.C. to meet with Florida senators and members of the Lebanese consulate.
It worked. Dexter was returned to the U.S. and back to his mother’s arms. Ali Salamey was sent to jail on international kidnapping charges.
Currently, Smith has full custody of Dexter, granted by a family court judge after the kidnapping charges.
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Judge rejects man's request to talk to son he's accused of kidnapping
Ali Salamey is back from Lebanon, in jail and facing state and federal kidnapping charges. But now he’s asking to be released on bond, and Rachelle Smith wants to make sure he never gets near her or her son.
Now Salamey’s lawyers are trying to get a Tampa Judge, who handles domestic violence injunctions and other family matters, to allow him supervised visits with his son.
Smith’s attorney blasted that idea.
"Everything that you just heard is 100-percent wrong. Wrong!" argued Patrick Leduc.
Leduc said Hillsborough County Judge Jessica Costello doesn't even have the authority or jurisdiction to grant that.
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In the end, Judge Costello did not touch the custody issue but did grant the defense a delay in the civil matter until the criminal case is resolved.
Due to scheduling conflicts, Judge Costello set the next court hearing for September of 2022.