Maryland Couple Sentenced for YouTube Pranks

A Maryland couple has been sentenced in a case that made headlines across the country. The young parents were accused of posting hundreds of videos to YouTube, depicting “pranks” on their children. Both will now serve five years of probation for their misdeeds.
According to records, the pair entered Alford pleas when they appeared in court. This means that they maintain their innocence but concede that the prosecutor had enough evidence to win a guilty verdict, similar to a nolo contendere plea. Each was sentenced to 10 years in prison, but that sentence was suspended. Instead, the pair will serve probation.
Documents outline more than 300 videos of the couple “pranking” their children. In some, they screamed profanities. In others, they broke their toys. The investigation began after concerned viewers contacted authorities. A neuropsychologist found that the children had suffered “observable, identifiable and substantial impairments of their mental or psychological ability to function.”
For their part, the couple has said that they made and posted the videos as a way of providing for their five children. They have also said that they had no intention to injure the children. Two of the children involved in the case have been placed in the custody of their biological mother. The couple is restricted in their future video making, not being allowed to feature those two children in any videos.
If you need assistance with a matter involving child custody in Howard County, Maryland, reach out to our office. Your case will be reviewed during your consultation and you will be advised of your legal rights.