Mother charged with hot sauce discipline

A mother in Alaska has sparked outrage for allegedly punishing her son with hot sauce and cold showers. Now, she's the one facing punishment: charges of child abuse. In a disturbing home video, Jessica Beagley, a 36-year-old mother of six, is seen disciplining her adopted son by making him hold hot sauce in his mouth. The reason for the severe punishment? He'd lied. In the video, Beagley can be heard saying, "What happens when you lie to me?" The boy answers, "I get hot sauce. You get hot sauce."

The mother asks, "What else happens when you lie to me?" The boy answers, "I get a cold shower." The 7-year-old, adopted from Russia, is then put into a cold shower and can be heard screaming. The video created an emotional uproar and resulted in criminal charges. Beagley sent the video, shot by her 10-year-old daughter, to the "Dr. Phil" show, seeking help in disciplining her child. Beagley said on the show, "I feel out of control."


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But after the show aired, the video went viral, sparking a flood of Internet outrage. One viewer said, "She doesn't treat him like a son. More like a warden to an inmate." Viewers then complained to the Anchorage Police Department, which prompted prosecutors to charge Beagley with child abuse. Court documents allege Beagley intentionally caused her son to be "tortured ... cruelly punished or physically injured."

She has pleaded not guilty. But experts say Beagley's methods are dangerous to the child. Dr. David Swanson, a psychologist, said, "Throwing a child in a cold shower is cruel, it's unusual and it's abusive. Giving hot sauce is to inflict pain. You're only reacting to your own anger and anxiety." Swanson continued, "This is all about the mother's anger! This has nothing to do with teaching this child a lesson. This has everything to do with using this child as a target." The boy remains in the Beagley's custody. She is due in court March 21.