about the effect it would have on them. I hope they realize they are better off without him.

In Texas:
If a noncustodial parent does not pay child support, he or she is subject to enforcement measures to collect regular and past-due payments. The Child Support Division uses many techniques to enforce child support orders, including:
requiring employers to deduct court-ordered child support from the noncustodial parent's paycheck through wage withholding;
intercepting federal income tax refund checks, lottery winnings, or other money that may be due from state or federal sources;
filing liens against his or her property or other assets;
suspending driver’s, professional, and hunting and fishing licenses; and
filing a lawsuit against the noncustodial parent asking the court to enforce its order.
A judge may sentence a nonpaying parent to jail and enter a judgment for past due child support.

https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/faq/cs-parents-frequently-asked-questions

when being overtly racist became less acceptable, white supremacy took on a cult-like status and feel. The behavior you describe, to me, is like someone who is in a cult.

keep it up once on the outside.

in some ways gangs = cults + violence directed outward

I told a friend exactly this decades ago.

Bottom line: they have mental issues.
As with psychopathy, they have a huge empathy deficit. Some innate (brain malfunction), some culturally induced.