Paparazzi Photographer Charged for Reese Witherspoon Chase

by Kelly Richardson
kelly.richardson@hqeducation.com
HQ Education Columnist

The department of child services is in an uproar upon hearing the news that Todd Wallace, a paparazzi photographer with a shady background, injured a 5 year-old child and shoved another adult out of his way trying to take pictures of Reese Witherspoon and her children at Disney World.

The tabloid press is under fire from child services groups for the latest installment in aggressive photography. Once again, Reese Witherspoon was the coveted target. Paparazzi photographer Todd Wallace is charged for allegedly striking a 5 year-old with his camera and shoving another person out of the way in an attempt to capture Witherspoon and her family on film. Prosecutors will not reveal the expected penalty, but many believe that this case will be used as a warning to the tabloid press.

The Tabloids Enrage Child Services Groups

• Déjà vu for Reese? In a similar situation, Reese was chased from her gym by a gang of paparazzi and trapped outside of her gated community. The photographers involved were not charged by police.
• Wallace's Shady Past. The alleged perpetrator has a history of run-ins with the law including second-degree burglary and receiving stolen goods. He has served four years in prison.
• Make Them an Example. Witherspoon's attorney maintains that endangering children for a photo is not "business as usual."

The people in child services genuinely love children and want to help traumatized children. The 5 year-old child was traumatized as a result of the incident and might possibly need some counseling. There are an entire range of services that are available to handle varying degrees of child trauma.

If you have a similar passion for helping children and are outraged by this recent act of aggression, you may want to consider a career in child services, which can begin with an academic degree.

Child Services Degree

• Environment. As a child services professional, you will be treating children with various degrees of need.
• Outlook. With an incredibly large younger population, child services degree holders will be in high demand.
• Education. Your child services degree will be completed in four years at an area or online college or universit

y.
While the courts will have to determine what went on in the Witherspoon/Wallace incident, you could enjoy a new career with a child services degree.

About the Author

Kelly Richardson covers the local education and technology scenes in major cities across the country. His articles appear in a variety of respected educational journals, periodicals, and e-zines. Kelly holds a bachelor degree in English and master degree in education from Georgia State University. He is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in Educational Leadership from Walden University.