By Ben Fassett
Staff Writer
A police investigation is underway, joining a judicial probe after video (made in 2004) appeared on the Internet of a disabled, 16-year-old girl being beaten by her father – who happens to be a Court-At-Law Judge for Aransas County, Texas.
Judge William Adams confirmed that he was the man in the graphic video which shows him striking her with a belt and a board. “She’s mad because I’ve ordered her to bring the car back, in a nutshell, but yeah, that’s me,” Adams said when asked about his daughter. He went on to say that “in my mind I have not done anything wrong other than discipline my daughter when she was caught stealing. I did lose my temper. I’ve apologized. It looks worse than it is.”
Hillary Adams, the daughter in question, voiced her outrage. “I can’t believe he would say something like he doesn’t think it’s a big deal.”
The video was posted to Reddit and YouTube after seven years. Hillary Adams claimed that the long pause helped inform her decision. “Waiting so long to publish it has enabled me to look at it in hindsight and not be so caught up in the passion of the moment. […] My mother and I, we do need to try to move on past the anger.”
Judge Adams, who is up for re-election in three years, was temporarily relieved of his duties on Nov. 2 for the next two weeks while the investigation continues.
