Mark Athans, 56 believes he and Charity Lenee Parchem, 42, were never legally married since she was married to at least one other man at the time of their marriage.

The Texas man refused to give her the $73,000 in spousal support and attorneys fees per court order. He is now facing a year-and-a-half in prison for not paying the bigamist.

Mr. Athans is the sole support of his youngest son who is autistic, and he is worried about losing his job.

The amount he owes this two-timing woman is now up to $96,000 in support and lawyers’ fees.

County Court at Law 3 Judge Patrice McDonald has refused to consider the bigamy indictment and has continued to rule Athans must pay the support. The judge wouldn’t even let the woman’s legal husband testify.

Athans claims he and Charity Lenee Parchem, 42, were never legally married because, without his knowledge, she was married to two other men at the time he married her in South Dakota in August 2017. According to federal and state law, if a person is married to one person and then marries another, that additional marriage is not valid.

Shortly into their union, he learned she was already married to two other men, one she was seeing behind Athan’s back.

Since there was no marriage, he doesn’t see why he has to pay her spousal support.

That’s not a concern for the judge. The judge might put him in jail. She sounds like a feminazi. The judge’s decision defies all logic. It’s insane and wicked.

The couple met in 2016 online through mutual friends and began dating, with marriage to follow in 2017.

His oldest son said some things didn’t add up so he started researching her history and found three marriages with only one divorce.

Not only is she a bigamist, currently out on bail for bigamy, but she is also a criminal. Her parents confirmed her criminal background. He says she wiped out his life’s savings of $400,000 when they were together and that he’s already paid her attorney $40,000. He says he’s now living paycheck to paycheck.

Mr. Athans said he did nothing wrong and can’t understand why she keeps winning in court.