Father charged in abduction of three sons

BUTTE, Mont. — A 33-year-old man accused of unlawfully taking his sons after their mother was awarded custody by a Washington state judge has been charged with three counts of first degree custodial interference. Chad Phillips appeared before Justice of the Peace Debra Williams in Butte on Thursday and was ordered jailed on $50,000 while awaiting extradition to Washington. He did not enter a plea. Phillips called Butte police from a motel Thursday morning after seeing an AMBER Alert for his sons broadcast on television. Butte-Silver Bow County Sheriff John Walsh says the boys — age 10, 8 and 6 — were found in good health and turned over to family services. Phillips was accused of taking the children following a court appearance Wednesday in Spokane after he lost custody of the boys.