SANDUSKY, Ohio- Four years of relentless investigation paid off last Thursday when Huron County Sheriff’s deputies and Sandusky police made their move on a fugitive they accused of being a notorious deadbeat dad.

“As far as child support cases go, he was public enemy number one,” said Chief Deputy Ted Patrick.

Terrance Valliant, 50, is accused of owing $368,000 in back child support to the mothers of his children who live in Ohio.

Representatives from Huron County Department of Job and Family Services would not say how many children Valliant had fathered, or how many he had failed to support; but authorities told FOX 8 he had 24 support cases pending in Ohio, 18 of them in Huron County where he sometimes lived.

Chief Patrick said Valliant had been ignoring court cases and dodging warrants for years.

“Unheard of in our county,” said the chief.

Last week, Huron County Deputy Brad Polachek was staking out a female friend of Valliant’s when he saw the couple get into a red sedan.  He notified Sandusky police, who made a traffic stop.

“At first he denied he was Terrance Valliant; he gave another name,” the chief said.

Valliant was shown several pictures of himself; the chief said he eventually confessed to his own identity.

Attempts to reach the mothers of Valliant’s children were unsuccessful.  His own mother said she was deeply embarrassed by her son’s failure to live up to his responsibilities, but she also faulted his girlfriends for not being more careful when spending time with him.  Valliant is being held in the Huron County Jail for 390 days: 30 days for each of the 13 contempt of court warrants that were issued in his name.