Anthony Weiner's latest cyber-sexcapades, featuring a photo of his sleeping son beside the pervy ex-pol’s bulging crotch, ended his marriage Monday — and could now lead to an investigation for child neglect, experts say.
“Anytime adults draw children into their own sexual activity they have crossed the line. It is always inappropriate for an adult to connect any child to their sexual activities, however peripheral,” said Tim Hathaway, executive director at Prevent Child Abuse New York.
Hours after the sexts were made public, Weiner’s wife, Huma Abedin, a top adviser to Hillary Clinton, announced she was separating from her horndog hubby.
This time, the messages Weiner sent from his Twitter account — which was taken down Monday morning — reportedly included him cracking a joke and snapping a photo of his 5-year-old son, Jordan, jumping into bed beside him as his dad sexted with a woman.
Law enforcement sources said Weiner, 51, was not currently under criminal investigation because the vile pic didn’t rise to the level of endangering the welfare of a child.
But experts in matrimonial law and child custody cases said Weiner’s woes were far from over.
The photo, the experts said, likely meets the low legal standard for the city Administration for Children’s Services to open an inquiry into a possible case of child neglect.
“Questions could be raised ultimately about his judgment as a caretaker,” said Dr. N.G. Berrill, a forensic psychologist.
“The fact he was so compulsive he felt this need to behave in this manner with the child present leads to questions about whether he can control himself.”
An ACS spokeswoman declined to comment.
Often a simple phone call from a neighbor can prompt the agency to investigate alleged cases of child abuse.
“ACS has gotten involved with a lot lesser allegations,” said Joseph De Simone, a divorce lawyer with the firm Cohen Clair Lans Greifer Thorpe & Rottenstreich.
Weiner scandal stresses parent role in kid's sexual development
State Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr., a socially conservative Bronx Democrat, said Monday that ACS should “at the very least investigate” the couple.
He also suggested it would have happened already to a minority family in a similar situation.
“I’m pretty sure ... if the adult in the photo with a toddler was black or Hispanic ... (ACS) would have been knocking on the door to investigate,” he said.
The latest scandal, which ensnared their son, seemed to be the last straw for Abedin.
“It’s terrible judgment. It speaks to the fact he’s certainly more focused on his sexual activity than understanding or addressing the ramifications of having a child present,” Berrill said.
“He’s treating it lightly. Almost like a joke. I don’t think ACS will see it that way. And there’s a good chance a court won’t see it that way.”
Weiner’s sexting could also come up in court should custody of the child become an issue.
Weiner returned to their Union Square apartment Monday morning aware the announcement of their separation was imminent, the paper reported.
“After long and painful consideration and work on my marriage, I have made the decision to separate from my husband,” Abedin said in a statement released through the Clinton campaign.
“Anthony and I remain devoted to doing what is best for our son, who is the light of our life. During this difficult time, I ask for respect for our privacy.”
It has been previously reported that Clinton’s people have wanted Abedin to leave Weiner because he could be a liability to her presidential campaign.
Sources said Weiner and Abedin had been estranged for some time and that her decision to separate was not due solely to his latest sexts. Their son was a major reason why they stuck together for so long, sources said.
Weiner’s inability to control himself prompted Clinton’s Republican rival, Donald Trump, to turn the embarrassment into a national security issue.
“Huma is making a very wise decision. I know Anthony Weiner well, and she will be far better off without him,” Trump said in a statement.
“I only worry for the country in that Hillary Clinton was careless and negligent in allowing Weiner to have such close proximity to highly classified information. Who knows what he learned and who he told? It’s just another example of Hillary Clinton’s bad judgment. It is possible that our country and its security have been greatly compromised by this.”
NY1, where Weiner was a frequent guest, put him on indefinite leave Monday.
The Daily News also said it would no longer publish his opinion columns.
Weiner and Abedin married in a 2010 wedding officiated by Bill Clinton. Weiner was considered a rising star in the Democratic Party, while she was practically a member of the Clinton family.
But Weiner’s online indiscretions derailed his once-promising political career in 2011 when he resigned from Congress and again in 2013 while embarking on a campaign for mayor.
Abedin stood by Weiner on both those occasions.
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