Judge's Daughter Speaks Out on Releasing Violent Beating Video: 'I Finally Snapped

The story about a Texas judge who was secretly taped beating his daughter has captivated America.

Perhaps the intrigue is sparked by the disturbing imagery seen in the graphic clip or maybe it's the fact that the man's own daughter -- the subject of the beatings -- released the footage. Potentially both. Either way, the story is an attention-grabber.

On Thursday night, CNN's Anderson Cooper sat down with Hillary Adams, the daughter of Judge William Adams and the young girl who filmed the horrific incident. During the interview, Hillary explained that, as a teenager, her father's beatings had increased in their fervency. So, she decided to setup a camera to capture his full-blown anger. You can watch the original video here.

Hillary, who has been holding onto the tape for years, said that she knew she needed to document the incident. In describing why she is releasing the tape now after holding onto it for seven years, she says, "I finally snapped." She continued:

"I just wanted to put it out there for my dad to see it and maybe a few other people to maybe help us reconcile and see that this is wrong."

Watch her discuss these issues:

Additionally, she addressed her father's accusation (presented in a statement that Cooper read to the young woman) that she released the tape as revenge after he decided to cut her off financially.

Below, watch Hillary admit to "spinning her wheels" by working retail, though she denies her father's allegation that he has been the primary source supporting her:

Mediaite has more about the statement that was released by Hillary's father:

Cooper continued reading the statement, which included an accusation that Hillary is exploiting her cerebral palsy to gain sympathy with the media. “Wow,” she responded. “That’s incredible. Did you know that he’s always denied that I even had a problem? This is the first time he’s ever written that I had something.”

Here's a portion of the statement:

In speaking about the video earlier this week, Judge Adams has said that the situation “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.” See him speak about these issues here.

At this point, due to the statute of limitations running out, no criminal charges will be filed against the judge.

(H/T: Mediaite)