KIISQueen

Authorities were investigating an incident in which Britney Spears was photographed driving with her infant son on her lap but didn't intend to pursue charges against the pop diva, officials said.

Los Angeles County Sheriff's Sgt. Diane Hecht said Tuesday that deputies went to Spears' home to collect information for the county Department of Family and Children Services. A DCFS spokesman declined to offer specifics about the incident.

"We don't say who, what or if we're investigating," department spokesman Stu Riskin said.

The sheriff's department won't pursue any charges, Deputy Luis Castro said.

"Unless a deputy saw the violation, there's nothing we can do," he said. "We don't even know if this took place in our jurisdiction."


Several photos published Tuesday showed Spears driving her SUV with her son, Sean Preston, perched on her lap rather than strapped into a car seat in the back seat. Spears said she did it because of a "horrifying, frightful encounter with the paparazzi."

The photos show Spears holding the wheel of the car with one hand, and her 4-month-old baby in the other. A person is shown sitting in the passenger seat next to Spears.

"I was terrified that this time the physically aggressive paparazzi would put both me and my baby in danger," Spears, 24, said in a statement released late Monday.

"I instinctively took measures to get my baby and me out of harm's way, but the paparazzi continued to stalk us," she said. "I love my child and would do anything to protect him."

The agency that snapped the photos, X17, said the pictures were taken "in a very peaceful context, in which photographers exhibited no aggressive behavior."

"We believe that the pictures speak for themselves," the agency said in a statement.

Spears gave birth to her son in September. He is her first child with husband of one year, former backup dancer Kevin Federline.


http://entertainment.tv.yahoo.com/en...942106000.html

Cubsfan

It seems like a very stupid thing to do, but I'm not entirely sure of the situation. I know there's been at least one situation where a photographer hit a kid with his camera (I don't know if it was accidental, or who it happened to, I just read it somewhere), and it seems like I've read stories about accidents caused by photographers who were overly agressive.

I suppose it could be that having the kid in her lap and getting out of whatever situation she was in was the best course of action. Unlikely, but possible.

zero2dash

(Repeating what someone on the local news said about this yesterday...)
Why is it that she "took her child out of danger" (from getting his picture taken, which, as we all know, is a life-threatening occurence ) by putting the child in far worse danger (by driving around with him unrestrained in the front seat, approx. 1' away from the steering wheel which assuredly contains an airbag)?

One more name to add to the list of morons that shouldn't be allowed to have children.

chadlnc

I usually would never be the one to step up and defend Britney, but in this case she may have had a legitimate reason. The problem is that these photographers will do ANYTHING to get a shot of celebrities doing stupid stuff even if the photo is taken completely out of context. From the story I read she said that she stopped at a Starbucks and her bodyguard got out and went inside. While he was inside she took the baby out of the car seat to tend to it. In the meantime photographers surrounded her car (which I don't doubt) and she got nervous. As soon as her bodyguard got back in the car she drove away. I'm sure it was right at that moment that the picture was taken and now she is being depicted as the worst mom ever and the tabloids get to sell a few extra copies and people on the internet and in real life run her in to the ground some more. Granted her story may not be true, but it does sound like something that could have happened.

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mcs328

I think I read the story about the photographer who hit a kid to get a celeb shot. He was killed. No lie. I'll look for the article.

Without more info, I would say Spears is still an idiot but I can see in the 'moment' she could have done what she did.

Edit: Found it
http://news.yahoo.com/s/eo/20060207/...NlYwN5bmNhdA--

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MikeD

The problem is that you're talking about a looong, looong list. More people should be sterilized than those who shouldn't...

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Grimm

Oh please. The human race survived for decades without child car seats. yes, they provide protection and should be used in normal cinrcumstances. But when you can't put a child in one because you are fleeing paparatzi all the time it's understandable. The child is probably in much more danger from being whacked in the head by a telephoto lense than being in an accident at this point. Besides, would the end of Britney Spears' gene line really be a bad thing?

zero2dash

Well, now that you put it that way...

ShawnLee

That baby scares me like it's Damien or something. His mom is Britney, his dad is Kevin Federline, and he has access to all their money (wait, HER money)... Scary...

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nickel

there is no excuse. she should've put the kid in a car seat - got in back with it, and let the bodyguard drive. she was trying to escape the popo? looks like they still got her picture.










and what horrific pictures they would've got if she'd gotten into an accident while fleeing. can you say little baby flying through the windshield?

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Merlin

Another one for the "Who Cares?" file.

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Jenny

I'd have less of an issue with it if she'd been alone with the baby in the car. But why the **** didn't she hand her over to the bodyguard long enough to drive away? The bg could have reached back, put the baby in the car seat and they would have been golden.

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Memo

That baby has a funny shaped head, maybe she was hoping an abrupt stop would help round it out a bit.

ladyluck

I agree 100%....

Grimm

Come on people. Instinct sometimes goes against what is the best thing to do in society.
A woman is wired to grab her offspring and flee. Holding the child close is a reaction to feeling threatened. The women who did not do so were less likely to pass on there genes. Thus the instinctual behavior to hold the child.

Brintey isn't a great thinker. But her instincts are normal. Don't go postal over someone reacting in a normal, understandable manner. Lose the mob mentality, no lynching today. Think about what happened. Her reaction, while not optimal, is understandable.

Bleh, is this what I am reduced to? Defending Britney Spears? Screw it.. .I'll get the rope...

hapoo

i never had a car seat growing up. when i was small i used to sit on my moms lap. when i grew a little i'd sit in the seat like a normal person. I've been through a couple accidents as a child, nothing happened. people freak out waaaaaaaaaay too easy.
There was also another story about how arnold rides motorcyles and doesn't have a license for one. the police know about it but say they can't do anything unless they see it themselves.