EXCLUSIVE! David Eason can't pay lawyer in child molestation criminal case; Fired 'Teen Mom' star begs for public defender after revealing he's nearly $49,000 in debt – The Ashley's Reality Roundup

David Eason claims he is nearly $50,000 in debt and can no longer afford the criminal defense attorney for his now-estranged wife, Jenelle Evansfor which they had spent the money before their separation, The Ashley can reveal exclusively.

After David was charged with child abuse in October 2023 after Jenelle's teenage son Jace told authorities in September that he had been assaulted by David, Jenelle hired (and paid) lawyers William And Tara Gore to defend her soul mate in his criminal case. In January, the released Teenage Mother 2 Papa was additionally charged with “assault by strangulation,” but he still had the support of Jenelle – And your criminal defense team.

The couple separated in February and months later, David had to go to court and tell them he could no longer afford private attorneys. David was forced to declare himself indigent (i.e. he was living in poverty and could not afford basic living needs) and asked the court to assign him a public defender, which happened just recently, according to The Ashley.

In the affidavit of need he filled out and filed with the court in May, David explained the sorry state of his finances, revealing that he has a total of just $106 in all of his bank accounts, including CashApp and Step Bank accounts. (In case you're wondering what “Step Bank” is, it's “a mobile banking app that offers a Step account and Visa card to help teens and young adults get started on their financial journeys.”) He reported that he actually owes However, these accounts contain $797.

David, the 36 years oldstated his occupation as “self/scuba diver/influencer”.

While David claims he makes $1,200 a month from his diving and influencer activities, he reported that he is currently nearly $49,000 in debt.

David claimed that his monthly expenses — including car expenses, $900 for groceries, rent and utilities, and more — total $4,357. That total includes the $1,800 David allegedly makes in alimony, which is presumed to be child support. (However, Jenelle recently stated in court that David has not paid her child support for their daughter, Ensley, in the six months since their separation. David is currently very behind on his child support payments to the mother of his second child.) Olivia Leedham.)

However, the majority of the debt David claims is taxes. Interestingly, the fired reality star revealed that he last filed income taxes for the 2018 tax year and that he – and presumably Despite it he owes $46,000 in taxes, according to his affidavit. (As fans know, David and Jenelle got married in 2018, so this would affect them too unless they file separate returns. Also, the fact that he hasn't paid income taxes for tax years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, or 2023 could impact Jenelle as well.)

David listed his address as the marina in North Carolina where he lives on his and Jenelle's broken-down boat (or, as The Ashley likes to call it, his “boathouse”). He also noted that he is not currently on welfare or food stamps.

If David's criminal case goes to trial (and he does not accept a plea deal that may be offered), he could face a lengthy prison sentence. His assault by strangulation charge is a Class H felony and carries a maximum sentence of 39 months in prison. David faces up to 150 days in prison for his child molestation charge.

The official court summons issued in October alleges that David “intentionally” caused harm to Jace during the September incident.

“[David] unlawfully and intentionally, being the parents of Jace V Evans, who was a child under 16 years of age, inflicted physical injury on that child,” the court document states. “The physical injury inflicted left marks on [Jace’s] right arm and left and right sides of the neck, and was not caused by chance.”

The Ashley can also confirm that David appeared for a court hearing in his criminal case on August 5. However, just days later, David failed to show up for a hearing regarding the custody of his and Jenelle's daughter, Ensley. (As The Ashley told you earlier this week, Jenelle was awarded sole legal and physical custody of Ensley because David failed to show up to fight it.)

The Ashley will have more on David's criminal case soon. Stay tuned…

RELATED STORY: EXCLUSIVE! David Eason declared 'not fit and proper' to have custody of his daughter Ensley; Jenelle Evans granted temporary sole legal and physical custody

(Photos: MTV; Instagram; TikTok)

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