Emergency custody question!?

i left my 2 kids father 3 years ago who was very abusive verbally and physicaly in front of my kids.i've remarried then and i left the state because he had been fighting me in court since i got married to be with the kids.whenever he would get the kids on weekends they would call me and say they were alone,and he would be having a party in the livingroom while they had to stay in the room.i could not take it anymore and left out of fear for my kids wellbeing.with that being said its been a few years.when i first left he went back to court to get a kidnapping charge put on me but he was told that i had physical custody so they could not charge me with kidnapping since i was the custodial parent.but the problem now is i spoke to my mother who lives around the corner from him,and she told me that he was awarded full custody without me even being there,can this happen just by him going to court saying he has not seen his kids? will they do that? how can i find this out?