Texas Judge Who Beat Daughter in Shocking Vid: 'I Haven't Done Anything Wrong

PORTLAND, Texas (The Blaze/AP) -- Corpus Christi television station KZTV caught up with Judge William Adams, the Texas father who has come under intense scrutiny after a video showing him beating his daughter was posted on YouTube. While he was getting into his vehicle Wednesday, the judge confirmed it was him in the video. But he said it "looks worse than it is" and he doesn't expect to be disciplined.

"In my mind, I haven't done anything wrong other than discipline my child after she was caught stealing," Adams said. "And I did lose my temper, but I've since apologized." Watch Adams make these comments, here:

When told of her father's comments, Hillary Adams, who posted the video intentionally and who was the subject of the beatings, said, "it's a shining perfect example of his personality and he believes he can do no wrong. ... He will cover up rather than admit to what he did and try to come clean, which is what I really want him to do."

She stressed that she did not post the video as revenge and does not want her father punished. Rather, she did it because she thinks it will force him to seek help, and because he has been harassing her and she thought posting the clip would make that stop.

"We need to reach out to victims and the abusers themselves to get people to realize what it actually is," she said.

Hillary, who was 16 at the time, said she secretly videotaped the beating in her bedroom because she "knew something was about to happen." She says her parents were angry at her for using her computer to download pirated content over the Internet.

She says that until last week, only a couple of close friends knew about the savage beating she received seven years ago from her father, Judge William Adams, a Texas judge who handles child abuse cases. See the disturbing video here (caution: language and violence):

No one answered the door Wednesday at the judge's home, repeated calls to his office rang unanswered and his attorney, William Dudley, did not respond to phone messages seeking comment. A neighbor said she saw Adams and his girlfriend packing luggage, a briefcase and rifles into their truck, as if to leave for a while.

It seems Hillary is receiving widespread support. Infamous hacker group "Anonymous" has even issued a video message, promising the make the judge pay for his action. Here is the video the group posted on YouTube:

The lines between what's deemed child abuse and what's considered an acceptable level of discipline differ in various parts of the country and among various social groups, though the use of objects such as belts and sticks is usually seen as beyond any normal physical punishment, said David Finkelhor, a University of New Hampshire sociology professor who heads the school's Crimes against Children Research Center.

Jim Hopper, a clinical instructor in psychology at Harvard Medical School and a child abuse expert, said there is no doubt that the judge's actions crossed the line.

"This is an act of brutal violence," Hopper said. "To beat someone into submission is not discipline. To beat a child into submission makes it harder for that child to take in rules and the values that the parent believes they are imposing on the child."

Adams, Aransas County's top judge, was elected in 2001 and has dealt with at least 349 family law cases in the past year alone, nearly 50 of which involved state caseworkers seeking determine whether parents were fit to raise their children.

Patrick Crimmins, a spokesman for the state Department of Family and Protective Services, said in an email that the agency is aware of the video and "will take the appropriate steps in this matter." He said the agency would have no further comment.

Steve Fischer, a longtime attorney in Rockport, called Adams fair and a "better than average" judge. He said Adams sometimes showed anger, but not in a way that would be considered unusual.

Hillary, whose parents divorced in 2007 after 22 years of marriage, said she waited this long to post the video because she didn't know what would have happened to her had she posted it just after it happened.

"If this had blown up when I was a minor who knows where I would be. I wouldn't be able to escape."

While Hillary is close with her mother, she suspects the video will only further alienate her from her father's side of the family. Still, she says she believes it was the right thing to do.

"I'm very relieved that these things have been brought to light and not because I want to see my father burn or anything like that. That's a hideous way of thinking and I don't want to inflict that upon him," she said. "I cannot stress enough - I cannot repeat myself enough, that he just needs help."

Below, see a video that documents Hillary's "journey through the world of piano." Posted to the same YouTube account as the beating video, the official description credits her mother with helping her overcome various obstacles: