The photographer behind this viral photo is being taken to court by child services

This intimate photograph was shared tens of thousands of times.

It showed a father cradling his sick child in the shower.

His wife, a photographer, snapped a picture of the moment to show the special bond between a father and his son.

The photo shows Heather Whitten’s husband Thomas cradling their then-one-year-old son Fox in a cold shower. Fox had salmonella poisoning, and was suffering from both a high fever and diarrhea.

Despite a relatively positive response to the photograph, which was taken in November of 2014, some labeled the picture as “a disgusting lack of boundaries” and Facebook repeatedly removed the viral image. 

But someone who saw the photo actually filed a complaint with the local authorities and it has now become the subject of a legal battle with the Arizona Department of Child Safety.

If the DCS succeeds Heather will be convicted of “neglect” for posting the photo.

If the claim is substantiated, Whitten will be added to Arizona’s Central Registry for 25 years, marking the end of her ability to adopt, foster, or even work with children as a photographer.

There is currently a Change.org petition with over 16,000 signatures in support of Whitten, and her day in court is coming up.