From Sex Work to Supervising Parenting Time: Deana Stewart Scandal | Maricopa County Family Court

From Sex Work to Supervising Parenting Time: Deana Stewart Scandal | Maricopa County Family Court Supervised by Criminals: Arizona’s Child Custody Crisis Arizona’s supervised visitation industry is part of a larger web of profit-driven services orbiting the family court system. These industries, from custody evaluators to reunification therapists to visitation monitors, form what many advocates and whistleblowers now call a money-making RICO machine: a racketeering-style network where court orders funnel families into private services that are unregulated, unlicensed, and often unqualified. The longer the litigation drags on, the more money flows through this closed-loop system, regardless of the harm to children. At the center of this machine is Arizona’s supervised visitation industry, which is populated by private individuals and companies operating without proper licensure, oversight, or accountability. While some present themselves as trauma-informed or therapeutic professionals, many have no formal credentials, and some have deeply troubling criminal histories. These providers are often appointed by judges or recommended by attorneys or therapeutic interventionists, leaving families with no choice but to comply or risk not seeing their children. One troubling example involves the owner of a local supervised visitation company who has received referrals from both Arizona family courts and the Department of Child Safety (DCS). Despite being entrusted with vulnerable children, this individual has a well-documented history of violence, as reflected in court records. In additional to multiple orders of protection filed by women citing threats and abuse, his criminal background includes arrests for: Disorderly Conduct involving physical altercations Possession of a weapon on school grounds Obstruction and resistance of law enforcement Aggravated Assault The fact that someone with this level of documented violence is permitted to supervise children under court mandate is another systemic failure of Arizona's Family Court system that places families at risk. Despite this record, the individual was reportedly entrusted with access to children and families under court mandate. Shockingly, they were also ordered supervised visits with their own child while involved in the industry, raising serious concerns about how Arizona courts are vetting those they appoint to oversee vulnerable families. This article is released into the public domain under CC0 1.0 Universal. You are free to republish, copy, syndicate, fork, or remix this content—without attribution and without restriction. No permission required. Journalists, bloggers, watchdogs: you are welcome to syndicate this article in full or in part. No attribution required. Use it in your own reporting, campaigns, archives, or advocacy materials.