Mom Beats Son with Cable Over Facebook Page

By Cynthia Hsu, Esq. on August 16, 2011 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

A Florida woman beat her son with a cable because he had a Facebook account when he wasn't allowed. The mom's Facebook beating left the boy with injuries on both his arms, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

The beating was prompted when an acquaintance of the mother, Althea Ricketts, contacted her to tell her that her son had posted something disturbing on his Facebook account, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

Her son earlier posted an update saying that he might harm himself. This probably would have alarmed most parents, since the boy had a history of cutting himself. Curiously enough, Ricketts' reaction was not to console the boy but to "discipline" him with a cable.

Ricketts got angry after her son lied to her about having a Facebook page, police reports say. That's when she hit him with the computer cable, reports the Orlando Sentinel.

She later told the arresting officer that hitting a child like that was a common form of discipline where she is from, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

But even if something is a "common" form of discipline, if it amounts to child abuse you will still be arrested. Ricketts learned this the hard way as she was arrested and charged with aggravated child abuse.

In Florida, charges of aggravated child abuse can occur if a person willfully tortures or maliciously punishes a child.

While it's unclear why Ricketts was charged with aggravated child abuse, maybe it's because the prosecutors thought she maliciously punished her child. Her "discipline" for him lying about having a Facebook account is relatively severe compared to what most parents would do.

And, ultimately, she did beat her son with a cable. It's possible that the mom's Facebook beating left the boy with scars, both emotional and physical.

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