Maya Moore Is Not Missing: Florida Custody Battle Exposes Systemic Failures

Father vs. Family Court: Retired Major Battles for Daughter's Rights

Maya Moore [L] and her father, Michael Moore [R].

By Richard Luthmann

In a revealing case from Florida, Maya Moore, a 15-year-old honor student previously reported as missing, is caught in a charged custody dispute involving alleged coercion and abuse. Maya's father, retired military officer Michael Moore, is fighting to keep her away from her biological mother, whom he accuses of being dangerous.

Maya, described as an articulate teenager, says the Family Court dismissed abuse allegations, leading to her being placed with her mother, the alleged abuser. She says she was forced into coercive therapy, which her father claims violates her human rights by employing coercive and punitive measures under the guise of treatment.

The therapy sessions, mandated by court orders, require hefty payments that, if halted, can result in legal consequences for the non-compliant parent, including jail time. This financial burden is compounded by the emotional toll on both the child and the protective parent, as seen in Maya's case, where non-compliance with a session payment prompted a guardian ad litem to push for immediate custody transfer to her biological mother.

A few days ago, Maya’s father, Michael, was given a restraining order by local law enforcement. He was told to turn over his guns. Here is a recording of the encounter:

According to Michael:

It was late, nearly 10 PM, and I was just nodding off when the phone started ringing. Three times they called, and I didn't answer at first—I had just fallen asleep after a long day, and was in no mood for late-night disturbances. But then the pounding started, loud and insistent, jarring me fully awake. Reluctantly, I got dressed and opened the door.

Outside stood five police officers, the biggest guys you could imagine, looking like they stepped right off the set of a cop show, all stern and imposing. They demanded to speak with me. Despite my request for them not to come onto my property, three of them crowded right up to the threshold, close enough that I could count the stitches on their uniforms.

"Got any guns?" one of them barked at me. His tone took me aback. "Why would you ask that?" I responded, trying to keep my voice steady. The question came again, louder this time: "Do you have any guns in the house?" "No, I have no guns," I answered, and to prove my point, I lifted my T-shirt above my waist. There I was, in just shorts and sandals, clearly unarmed.

"I'm a retired USAF Major," I told them, hoping some respect for my service might change their demeanor. "Is this how you treat veterans?" But they just ignored me. My clean police record, my meritorious service in the Air Force—none of it seemed to matter to them.

Then came the real shocker. One officer read aloud a restraining order, issued by the same judge from Family Court who had been making my life difficult. As he spoke, the words felt like punches to the gut. It was clear what was coming next.

Standing there, in the doorway of my own home, facing down these officers who showed no regard for my service or my rights, I fully expected to be arrested. The whole scene felt like a setup, another move in a corrupt game played by the Family Court—a system that seemed more interested in flexing its muscle than in justice or truth.

The narrative took a dramatic turn when Maya was falsely reported as abducted by her father, triggering a nationwide Amber Alert. However, it was later clarified that Maya had not been kidnapped, and this misleading report was part of the ongoing legal struggle over her custody.

Police involvement led to Maya being taken to a hospital for observation, isolated from her father and her legal team. Currently, she remains under hospital supervision, with limited information available about her condition due to enforced isolation.

The Family Court has twice enabled the mother to deny Maya Moore her religious practices, despite her three-year attendance at Miami Spring Seventh-Day Adventist Church with her father every Sabbath. The Family Court has legally enforced these denials. Maya reported being yelled at and sworn at by her mother and the therapist, Dr. Simon, during a session, explicitly targeting her faith and her connection to her church family, leaving her visibly distraught.

The broader implications of Maya's case extend beyond her struggle, highlighting systemic issues within the U.S. family court system. Children across the country are similarly being subjected to dubious therapy practices and medication regimens without proper consideration of their well-being or the legitimacy of their claims of abuse.

The use of psychotropic medications, in particular, has raised alarms about potential long-term damage to children's neurological and mental health. These medications are often administered without adequate justification, sometimes inducing symptoms like suicidality in children already traumatized by family disputes and court interventions.

Additionally, fundamental religious rights are ignored wholesale.

Stay tuned as this story develops.

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