Couple loses child custody over 'prank'
The couple claimed the videos were harmless pranks and the children didn't mind taking part in them, the Independent reported.
A couple has lost custody of two children after a viral video featured the father and the stepmom pranking their kids. Mike and Heather Martin shared a video last month of an alarming stunt that made their 9-year-old son Cody burst into tears, according to Mashable. The controversial video posted on their channel DaddyOFive showed the parents screaming and cursing at their son to convince him he had spilled ink on the carpet. In similar other videos they scream and swear at the kids, tell them they are going to be adopted and in one Cody’s father appears to push him into a bookcase.
The couple claimed the videos were harmless pranks and the children didn’t mind taking part in them, the Independent reported. However, several YouTubers said the videos depicted abuse. An online petition was started calling on Child Protective Services to investigate the family. After losing custody of the children, the Martins apologised on YouTube for the extreme videos.