TV personality and motorcycle builder Jesse James (West Coast Choppers and Monster Garage) has been awarded temporary full custody of his five year old daughter Sunny by a California court. Sunny’s mother (James’ ex-wife and porn star) Janine Lindemulder was recently sentenced to six months in prison by an Oregon federal judge. She reports to prison next month.

From 2000 through 2006, Lindemulder spent over $750,000 on homes, vehicles, furniture and a piano, while failing to voluntarily make any payments to the IRS. Those purchases included a home in Eugene, Oregon. During this period, she owed the IRS over $200,000.

Lindemulder was married to James from 2002 to 2004. Based upon the court documents, it appears that she owed income tax for the six years prior to her marriage to James and also failed to pay taxes upon separating from James in 2004.

After Lindemulder serves her six months in federal prison, she will be on one year of supervised release (probation). As a condition of her supervised release, she will be required to live in a “residential re-entry center” (commonly known as a halfway house) for up to six additional months. In addition, she must pay all her outstanding taxes,which currently are about $294,000.

So, it looks like James and his current wife, actress Sandra Bullock, will have full custody of Sunny for somewhere close to a year. James began dating Bullock just a month before Sunny was born, having split with Lindemulder while she was pregnant (they later divorced). James and Bullock reportedly sought to modify custody of the child several years ago due to suspicious marks and bruises they observed.

One note: OK! Magazine and The National Enquirer both report that Lindemulder was convicted of tax evasion. She was not. Maybe it’s just the picky attorney in me, but their fact-checkers need to do a better job. Lindemulder was convicted of failing to pay taxes, a federal misdemeanor. Failure to pay taxes is a different crime than income tax evasion. It may seem like technicalities or semantics – but there’s a difference and they should get it right before reporting it. (Oh, and the Enquirer may win the most-distasteful headline award for “Sandra Bullock Gets Porn Star Kid”. Unbelievable.)