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The graphic video drew international outrage after it was posted by a woman who said she was the victim -- and that her parents, including her father, Aransas County Texas, Court-At-Law Judge William Adams -- were the ones seen beating and cursing at her in the video.
A person identifying herself as Hillary Adams said in posting the video to the sharing site Reddit she had held onto it "until the right time" but decided to post it after receiving a "barrage of harassment" over the phone from her father.
The video, apparently shot on a webcam, was also posted to YouTube. In that posting, the person identifying herself as Hillary Adams said the beating occurred in 2004, when her father was punishing her for using the Internet "to acquire music and games that were unavailable for legal purchase at the time."
CNN tried repeatedly on Wednesday to reach William Adams at his Rockport, Texas, office, but received a constant busy signal. But William Adams told Texas television station KRIS, "It happened years ago ... I apologized."
He said the conduct is "not as bad as it looks on tape," KRIS said. The judge said he had contacted judicial review officials in Austin and "more will come out" in the investigation.
A person identifying herself as Hillary Adams, on a Twitter account using the same username as the posting on Reddit, tweeted to CNN, "I'm not sure how much I should say, except that above all we need to help my father instead of condemning him."
In another tweet, the person said, "I'm feeling some regret for publishing the video because to ruin my own father is heavy indeed. But I really want him to seek help."
The daughter "has had ataxic cerebral palsy from birth that led her to a passion for technology, which was strictly forbidden by her father's backwards views," according to the posting. "The judge's wife was emotionally abused herself and was severely manipulated into assisting the beating and should not be blamed for any content in this video." The older woman has since left the marriage because of abuse, according to the posting, and has "apologized and repented for her part and for allowing such a thing long before this video was even revealed to exist." In a statement, Aransas County Judge Burt Mills said the county is aware of the video regarding William Adams, "and the matter is now under review by the police department. Please refrain from communication with county offices or the sheriff's department on this matter until the review has been completed."
The video was brought to authorities' attention about 9 p.m. Tuesday, Rockport Police Chief Tim Jayroe told CNN. "The incident and video are now under investigation," Jayroe said.
He said people in Rockport and elsewhere began forwarding the video to police Tuesday night.
"The first step is determining the authenticity of the video," he said. "It's a matter of needing to verify the information and that the video is accurate."
Aransas County District Attorney Patrick Flanigan told CNN authorities are looking at numerous factors, including the authenticity of the video and the age of the child at the time of the incident.
"There is also some indication on the video regarding the status of the child being disabled, and that can be a factor as well," Flanigan said. On the statute of limitations, he said, "That is one thing we will be looking at." The law is complex on which charges could be brought, he said, and which statutes may apply -- which is all speculation until the video is confirmed to be authentic.
"We're in a fact-finding situation now to determine what is true," he said, and the district attorney's office will get updates from the police department about the investigation.
In addition, he said, his office will look at how the law has changed in the past couple of years, as there could have been different laws in effect at the time.
The video posting said, "Judge William Adams is not fit to be anywhere near the law system if he can't even exercise fit judgment as a parent himself. Do not allow this man to ever be re-elected again. His 'judgment' is a giant farce. Signed, Hillary Adams, his daughter."
The possibility of the alleged abuser holding a position of authority as a judge "doesn't matter and shouldn't matter" in the investigation, he said, adding, "it will be a normal review."
As a judge, Adams handles misdemeanor cases, including family-related and juvenile court issues, Flanigan said. Those cases rarely move to the criminal side or cross to his purview, he said.
"We want to get to the bottom of it ... regardless of who the person is," he said.
The Texas State Commission on Judicial Conduct declined comment on the matter Wednesday, but it said it was aware of the situation. A woman answering the phone said the commission has been "overwhelmed."
Attempts by CNN to contact Hillary Adams' mother were not immediately successful Wednesday.
The video is punctuated by cracks of the man's belt and the girl's screams and cries.
At one point, the man says to his near-hysterical daughter, "What happened to you, Hillary? Once you were an obedient, nice little girl. Now you lie, cheat and steal."
At another point in the 7.5-minute video, he yells at her, "You want to put some more computer games on? You want some more?"
"Are you happy?" he asks her. "Disobeying your parents? You don't deserve to f---ing be in this house."
He also berates the older woman, who identifies herself as the girl's mother, for allowing a "f---ing computer" in the house.
The older woman also strikes the girl with a belt once, and near the end of the video instructs the girl not to "touch one other thing on the computer besides your schoolwork until you are given notice otherwise."
The girl was apparently 16 at the time the video is taken, as the older woman at one point instructs her to "turn over like a 16-year-old and take it."
A Facebook page called "Don't Re-Elect Judge William Adams" sprang up on Facebook, attracting more than 5,400 by Wednesday afternoon. Messages were posted by users in countries including Australia, the Netherlands and Guatemala, among others, and a Spanish-language version of the video was posted on YouTube.
"This man doesn't deserve power," said a posting on the Facebook page. "He doesn't know how to use it."
Police and the district attorney are taking the investigation seriously, Jayroe said. Investigators have not yet spoken to Hillary Adams or her family, he said, and have not tried to contact William Adams. "We would want to talk to her," he said of Hillary Adams.
Jayroe said his department has asked the Texas Department of Public Safety for assistance with an investigator. "It's the first time in 22 years we've asked for assistance," he said.
"I've gained some new followers," said another posting from the person identifying herself as Hillary Adams. "I hope we can support each other in dealing with abuse of all kinds."
"Please spread the word that my father needs professional help and not hatred," the person tweeted. "We can offer him the tools to be a better person." Meanwhile, Domino's Pizza in Rockport said it had received more than 20 online orders and nine phone orders for pizza to be delivered to the judge's home address.
"We actually made and delivered two pizzas before we caught on last night," said store manager Sean Hunt. "No one was answering the door or the phone calls at that address... I've worked here for a little over a year, and I've never seen anything like this happen."
The video posting said, "Judge William Adams is not fit to be anywhere near the law system if he can't even exercise fit judgment as a parent himself. Do not allow this man to ever be re-elected again. His 'judgment' is a giant farce. Signed, Hillary Adams, his daughter."
Wow. Watching this tape on Dr. Drew, and the attack is beyond sick. That Judge needs to be thrown into a real jail (not a country-club upper class jail), for a very long time, and the complicit wife also, but of course now legal experts are saying the statute of limitations has expired.
I did see the other thread, but the title of that was misleading and I didn't bother to read it. It should have read "Judge viciously whips disabled child on tape for 10 minutes."
I don't care what anyone thinks, but these kinds of actions are nothing but sick. What does it prove, that your a punk for a Father, and what the hell kind of Mother does she have. She went along with it. No man no one ever would put a hand on one of my children, and live to tell about it, that is what a Mother does protects her children from evil.
This man is pure scum JUDGE, and a evil human being, that shows his toughness by beating his disabled daughter, really nice.
I hate scum as him, and this Man is a judge, i would want no part of him.
Maybe someone ought to beat him as he beat his daughter, lets see how tough he really is.
Clearly most of us have a brain, and know the difference between a spanking, and an all out beating. This clearly was not spanking, but controlled beating, instilled on this young daughter to endure pain, and the stupid-as- Mother stands by and watch. No excuses made for her, because the beatings went on for 7 whole minutes straight. And the Father as time went on hit harder with the belt.
If he were my husband, thank GOD he is not, i would probably kill him, i mean that, you do not do that to a child, a teenager, or someone disabled. I would of knowing myself grabbed the belt the best that i could and beat him with it, oh don't tempt me, i am pretty tough. I know some martial arts, and would have used it on this a--.
What exactly did that beating with a belt accomplish, except made him more of a Man, an ass----- if you ask me.
Is this typical of Evangelical Texas Conservative men? I’m not impressed much when it comes to Texas anymore. They seem to have their own way of doing things down there from parenting, racial views, and how to govern. There are laws in most every state about child abuse and this video shows just that – CHILD ABUSE. Judge William Adams needs to be disbarred from practice, I don’t believe he can deal with issues at home and I’d worry about how he’d deal with issues in the court. The man isn’t fit for social interaction if he can’t control himself with his family. And what about the mother, isn’t the mother supposed to protect her children? This is a SICK issue that goes on too much. Child Abuse is a CRIME.
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Omg
