Father wants to have son after 10 years of nothing

My son's father and I separated three months after he was born, he was much younger than me and wanted to party i guess when he realized the responsiblilties of marriage and being a parent. When I was pregnant he left once and returned. When we finally separated he was staying with questionable friends, specifically neo=nazi's, skinheads, and drinking/partying a lot and even started dating a minor. I was pretty disgusted with this to say the least, but i was busy working full time, doing the day care runs on foot to and fro, taking care of my newborn who was also a premie i may add. Once his father visited and I asked that he sign over complete custody and control over to me, i typed up a document and we had a friend witness our signatures and he signed as well. Since then his dad has been virtually unlocateable, when he gets ahold of me I let him see his son, for a bit i was letting him take him for several hours to visit his family on the father's side, and once my child was returned to me with strangers who i found out were the minor girlfriend and her mom who was driving them, needless to say I was mortified. His father moved out of state, I moved out of state briefly to see if I could move to BC since I was involved heavily in horses and had several at that time. Ca was where we initially lived and where my son was born. Throughout the past ten years I have moved several times and once his dad returned to CA and i started letting him see my son again, I was dating someone at the time and he at one point threatened to beat my new relationship up on the telephone. I even paid the father to babysit once. All this time, I only received one or two payments over the course of ten years of less than a thousand bucks. Several years ago when the economy tanked in San Francisco I lost my job as many did and eventually relocated to Nevada and got a great job, lived with my grandfather for a bit to get back on my feet. Now I am living and have been living on my own with my son, who is adhd, and is now ten years old. Last summer I got a call out of the blue from his father again, apparently he paid ten bucks for my unlisted cell phone number off the internet, and we basically argued for an hour about typical stuff and he never once asked about his son or how he was doing and I brought that to his attention. During that phone call I told him that I would really like to receive some sort of support, we are still legally married, but he hasn't contributed towards anything for my son his whole life for the most part. One year later, no contact, he calls me again, and asks to visit, which I allow. He flew in and I picked him up wth my son in tow and chaparoned his visit over the course of several days. It seems he got his life together finally and was working establishing his own business that back way back when I financed the equipment for when we were together so I was proud of that. My son was glad to finally see his da he told me, prior to his visit that he had saved some money to give to me and that he was going to be contributing regularly from now on, for once...whew i thought. Well the money didnt come during the visit, he, however sent me a smaller amount twice since he has returned. Today I got served papers for divorce and he is seeking custody of my child that I raised ten years all by myself. In the documents he has stated that I have blackmailed him saying that if he didnt give me money he could not see his kid. He has also stated that I have been running and moving and hiding from him all these years as well. He also states there is child neglect involved. I have a mediation appointment with the Sac Court in CA wednesday and if I have a response beyond their form, I am supposed to serve the father and the court 5 days prior. That would make no sense since I was served today and the mediation is wed morning at ten am. My son is visiting his grandparents, as he has for 5 years now in the summers. The father claims I sent him away because he has been in contact with me which of course i can prove otherwise, but I am reeling from the allegations he has accused me of. I have never once gone after him for deadbeat issues, could never find him when went looking. When he came to visit, that week I had also lost my job so he is obviously taking advantage of my lack of financial empowerment as well. What do I do? Back when he left he made mention that he would be back when my son was ten to be a part of his life and here he is. I am scared. My son is my life. I have raised him to be an honor student, who is the light of my life. How can a person who wanted nothing to do with us and never financially contribute just pull this kinda legal nonsense. Now i have to travel to CA twice in a month to deal with the legal matter, have to have my son available by telephone this wed for mediation questioning which is mandatory with the sac/ca courts. Now that this deadbeat has gotten his life in somewhat order he thinks he can just come in and destroy my life like this? I must have some rights. I am so afraid that he is still white supremacist, violent (bar fights and such), and that would definitely influence my sponge of a lovely child's brain with mud as far as I am concerned. I never kept his Father from seeing him when he wanted to except when he threatened my boyfriend. He claims I have been running from him by moving when I have moved to better my life and that of my kids. Please help me. I really appreciate it.
Mom in Distress

The court will see right through this. Show that he knew where you where and chose to abandon you basically and he will not have a chance at custody. You could seek child support and even possibly some back support by the way.

Thanks for a response. I have since found out that if I respond or show up to the mediation this week then it automatically changes jurisdiction to the CA court system and I live in Nevada and have for over 3 years. I am going to file this week in Nevada since this is my child's home state, etc. I was told not to even respond or be at the mediation hearing wednesday, and that basically i am being bamboozled into the venue of CA rather then in Nevada (the father and I talked weeks ago about divorce and i had requested that it be done here). Because he has filed in CA I am assuming that the courts there and law's etc. may be more favorable towards his case as he must have had some advice from his attorney or he wouldn't have filed it there and his attorney would not have insisted I show up this week to the mediation hearing.

Any more help is appreciated. I am going to Legal Aid on Monday and initating the divorce/custody process in my town/state so jurisdiction is here rather than there.

If anyone knows how doing this in CA is more favorable to him then in Nevada, i.e., laws, etc. please let me know what you know.

Thanks all.

what did legal aid say?