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ARANSAS COUNTY - A custody battle is heating up between Aransas County Court-at-Law Judge William Adams and his ex-wife Hallie.

Judge Adams attorney has filed a motion against a temporary r… Click to Read More and see additional updates

ARANSAS COUNTY - A custody battle is heating up between Aransas County Court-at-Law Judge William Adams and his ex-wife Hallie.

Judge Adams attorney has filed a motion against a temporary restraining order granted to the ex-wife related to custody of their 10-year-old daughter.

Hallie Adams' court filing claims the judge has a history of drug abuse, is in denial about mental issues, and that he verbally abused their younger daughter.

In a response, Adams' attorney claims the charges made by his ex-wife are, "little more than a poorly written autobiography of Hallie Adams' unfulfilled relationship" with the judge.

A custody hearing is set for next Monday.

ARANSAS COUNTY - After weeks of getting bombarded with angry phone calls, emails and faxes the Aransas County courthouse is recovering from another problem: a computer hack.

The hack, apparently from a group calling itself "Anonymous," happened late last week, shutting down an already overloaded website.

The group said the attack was in response to the release of a controversial video showing Court-At-Law Judge William Adams beating his daughter.

In the days after the video surfaced, the county's website, which receives several thousand hits daily, experienced approximately 100,000 visitors in one day, something that temporarily slowed the site.

Court officials would not comment, citing that there is a pending FBI investigation.

"I think it's foolish - it's uncalled for," said Byron Wright of Rockport.

Others echoed that sentiment.

"Don't attack the courthouse. The courthouse has nothing to do with it. The courthouse didn't do what was seen on the video," said Brigette Farrell of Rockport. "The courthouse didn't have anything to do with that."

The court regularly uses the county's website to post information regarding jurors.

CORPUS CHRISTI -- Hillary Adams tells us today she hopes to influence lawmakers in Austin to change the law when it comes to child abuse.

"It's been received well by civilians, people in the legislature, and I hope, everyone else who needs to put it through also," Adams said.

Adams has been taking to Twitter to push the change.

One tweet explains it all: "Contact your reps and urge the extension of the statute of limitations on child abuse from 5 years to at least 18."

"If a child gets abused, age 5, that statute expires when they turn 10 years old," Adams said. "They don't have a chance to do anything about it. So I was thinking something like 20 years, so they can grow into an adult."

Hillary says her situation spurred on the campaign. Her father, Judge William Adams faces no charges after he was caught on video hitting Hillary. District Attorney Patrick Flanigan told the Associated Press, charges would likely be pursued, if not for the statute of limitations.

"As long as they can tell someone about it, they can really do something, if we extend that statute," Adams said. "We need a remedy, and that 5 year statute is not a very good remedy."

Adams says she hopes that the law could be on the books by 2013. In the meantime, she says she'll continue encouraging others to lobby lawmakers in other states as well.

ROCKPORT, Texas -- An Aransas County judge has granted a temporary restraining order against Judge William Adams that takes away his visitation rights related to their 10-year-old daughter until a hearing later this month.

Adams ex-wife, Hallie Adams, filed for the order, and it was granted late Thursday.

Through a written statement by her attorney, Brett Pritchard, Hallie says she wants to permanently end William's visits because of the "abusive nature of Judge Adams."

In the affidavit, Hallie accuses Adams of "child neglect, physical abuse or emotional abuse" against the 10-year-old. She goes on to say he has mental and behavioral problems.

The affidavit accuses Judge Adams of having a rough childhood, where he's accused of abusing his sister, and of having a history of drug abuse and addiction.

Hillary says in 2007, a close friend drove William to a drug abuse recovery center for five days to "detox from his methadone addition, a drug he had been prescribed secretly to deal with his addiction to the other drugs he had been addicted to."

"Bill Adams... is guilty of alienating Allison and Hillary from me," Hillary writes in the affidavit. "[Hillary] has been brainwashed, and only recently has figured out that her father is abusive and unrepentive, and she believes that he is mentally ill."

Adams has been off the bench for over a week, and has no immediate date for return.

Calls for comment have not yet been returned.

Below is the entire affidavit.

WARNING: THE CONTENTS BELOW CONTAIN GRAPHIC MATERIAL.

Hallie Adams Affidavit_Redacted

ROCKPORT, Texas -- The website for Aransas County government is down, a spokesman said today.

The site, http://www.aransascountytx.gov, is currently showing a default page from a web server called Plesk.

In a video posted to YouTube, the online group Anonymous posted a 3 and a half minute video blasting the judge's actions and threatening to cause problems with the judge if he doesn't step down.

"[W]e have decided that you shall receive the full fury of Anonymous," the video states in a computer generated voice. "We shall continue to wage war against you until you have paid the price for your reprehensible actions. We will not cease our attacks until you have done so."

"We demand a public apology to both the people of Texas and to your daughter," the video continues. "Further, we demand your immediate resignation from the bar and retirement from any form of judiciary action or law enforcement."

The video calls the move "Operation DoxTheJudge" and has a link to a site that lists detailed information about the judge, and the technical details of the county's website.

"Should you choose to continue to assert that "it looks worse than it was", we shall continue our actions against you untill you see the abhorrent nature of your actions and comply with our demands," the video says.

Watch the video here.

SAN ANTONIO - As she returned from her national media tour, 6 News spoke with Hillary Adams on the fallout of the video she posted showing her father, Aransas County Judge Williams Adams, using a belt to hit her.

We sat down in her San Antonio apartment and talked about the world-wide attention and its effect on her family.

"We're trying to reach out. We're trying to turn this into a good thing. I'm really sorry and I know it hurt him that it had to happen this way. But he needs to reexamine some things," she said.

She says the response from her father has not been constructive and she thinks he needs to reevaluate the situation.

Hillary also says she has mixed feelings about the protests and outrage aimed at her parents.

"I don't know how I feel about that protest, because that's my dad they're yelling about," she said.

While she says she understands the anger some feel toward her father she says the similar feelings expressed toward her mother are unwarranted.

"But the rage against my mother I feel is undeserved. There are a lot of people saying I shouldn't be around my mother and she's a terrible person for joining in and she should have left. All of those people they don't understand how abuse, manipulation all of that, it really does weird things to a family."

Hillary has a ten-year-old sister who she says spends time with both of her parents since their separation. She says the family is trying to shield her from the media attention, but she is worried about the girl.

Hillary says she doesn't think her sister has been physically abused, but she believes emotional abuse may be a way of life for her.

"I do want her to get away from my father, she experiencing that at ten years old. If it's hard for me and i'm in my early twenties I can't imagine what she must be going through as a ten-year-old," she said.

Now that she is back home, Hillary says she wants to try to get her life back to as normal as possible.

She also says she's hoping to get her while family involved in counseling.

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SAN ANTONIO, Texas - After days of national media attention, Hillary Adams returned to her home in San Antonio Monday.

In an exclusive interview with KRIS reporter Steven Romo, Adams talked about her week in the national spotlight and what she plans to do now.

"What I really want is for this to have a permanent effect on my family and some other families who need help out there," Adams said.

She has appeared on a number of national news outlets and she says the requests for interviews is not letting up.

Hillary says she did not expect all of the attention but she hopes to use it to help her family and
other people who may be in abusive situations.

"Sometimes I lie there thinking 'what have I done? what have i inflicted upon my father?'" Adams said. "Then, I think this could solve all of my family's problems just about."

Of the scrutiny Judge Adams is getting in the Coastal Bend, Hillary says it puts her in an unusual position: she loves her father and doesn't like to see people attacking him, but she says she knows he needs help.

"It has changed the dynamics of how we've worked forever," Adams said. "Hopefully, best case scenario, my father would be able to get some kind of counseling and the rest of us would too. We've had that offered to us and we plan to take advantage of it, but the trick will be to get my dad to use it also."

Adams says she's not sure if her father should lose his position as judge, but she says she believes he needs some time off to address his personal issues.

"With his controlling personality the position as judge has really fed his personality in the wrong way," Adams said.

For now, Adams says she'd like to try and get her life back to as normal as possible. She says she intends to connect with the public to try to help others learn from her pain.

"I've gotten messages from all over the world of people telling me this has opened their eyes," Adams said. "So I know it has helped some people."

Adams says she worries about her ten-year-old sister who stays with both her mother and father after they separated. She says her family is trying to shield the girl from all of the public scrutiny.

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Keaton Fox contributed to this report.

ARANSAS COUNTY - The docket was full at the Aransas County Court-at-Law this morning where a visiting judge was sitting in to hear Judge William Adams cases.

Business at the court house has picked up from last week. Most people we spoke with say they can't wait until the whole thing's over, and they want Judge Adams off the bench.

The phones at the Aransas County Courthouse are still ringing, but not as much as they were last week when news broke of a video the judge's daughter had posted online of a beating she received in 2004 from the judge.

"It's been quiet, and everybody's doing what they should be doing. there's been some disruptions on the telephone still, but it's benn slowing down -- thank god," said County Judge Burt Mills.

A steady stream of people filed in the county court at law office this morning -- on the docket: divorce and family cases, but this time with visiting Judge Paul Canales.

"It's just like any other court -- same as any other court that i would sit as a visiting judge for," said the visiting Judge Canales.

He was appointed by the state to be a temporary replacement for Judge Adams as officials consider whether he should stay on the bench.

Judge Canales will be on the bench for the next two weeks. After that -- he'll either stay, or another judge will be brought in.

For those coming into the courthouse for business, it was just like any other day.

Rockport resident Deborah Ramirez was here to get a passport. For her, Judge Adams' actions hit home. "I have a daughter who has CP (cerebal palsy), and it's sad...it's just sad."

Others echoed her concern.

'I don't see how you could sit on somebody else's assault trial or family violence trial if you have yourself videotaped doing the same thing," says resident Randy Tucker.

County Judge Burt Mills is looking forward to things quieting down, "Hopefully -- god willing -- we can get back to normal operations with little or no interruptions."

ROCKPORT - Roughly 30 protesters took to the steps of the Aransas County courthouse today demanding Judge William Adams' resignation and some showing their support of the embattled judge.

He's come under scrutiny within the past week after his adult daughter uploaded video to the internet of him hitting her with a belt back in 2004.

For workers at the Aransas County courthouse today, it was not a quiet day.

The protest, put together by Rebecca Peres, all in response to the video of Judge William Adams.

"It is a big deal, that wasn't just a whipping, that was a beating, his words, not the public's words, his words. He was beating his daughter into submission, and that's not right. He needs to resign," says Rebecca Peres.

The group amassed a following of 15-20 people throughout the day, some coming and going, some staying around a while, all with a similar message.

"I believe that at this point, Judge Adams can no longer be an effective public servant, and I believe the integrity of the judiciary would be compromised if he continued to serve," says protester Tamara Merson/Protestor.

And another group came out Monday, a group supporting Judge Adams. They say he did nothing wrong and should be back on the bench.

"She did wrong, he spanked her with the American way of spanking kids, with a leather belt, she didn't cooperate, she moved around, she got hit more, she should've cooperated. He's a good man, a good judge," Domingo Ortiz told us.

The group protesting points to a large online following. Over a thousand followers on Facebook were sending messages as well --- all wanting Judge Adams to step down.

Today's protest was under the watchful eye of Sheriff's deputies who were watching from just inside the courthouse, but there were never any conflicts or problems today and that was something these protestors were hoping for.

Meanwhile, inside the courthouse employees say they have had a rough few days as they are still dealing with calls, faxes and letters and cards that have been sent in, many very unpleasant.

ROCKPORT - There are dueling protests underway in Rockport outside the office of the Aransas County Courthouse where County Court-at-Law Judge William Adams office is located.

Protesters are calling for his resignation for the video his daughter uploaded to internet showing a 2004 beating.

"I can't believe that what we saw still happens in America today," said Rebecca Perez, who organized the protest.

Most people driving by are honking, though some have yelled back at the protest. One man yelled, "I'm for him!"

A small group has also formed supporting the judge, saying his actions were justifiable as a father disciplining his daughter.

Last week federal and county prosecutors announced no charges will be filed against Adams.

Judge Adams oversees cases in Aransas County that involve Child Protective Services investigations of child abuse.

ROCKPORT - The District Attorney overseeing Aransas County-San Patricio County has decided he will not pursue criminal charges against Aransas County Court-at-Law Judge William Adams.

Judge Adams has admitted to beating his daughter in a video she secretly recorded in 2004 and uploaded to the internet last week.

In a release from the Rockport Police Department, DA Patrick Flanigan is quoted as saying, " I have received and reviewed the submitted evidence regarding William Adams and the video incident that was reported to RPD on November 1, 2011. I have also referenced the applicable statutes from the Penal Code and Code of Criminal Procedure. It is clear that no criminal misdemeanor information nor any criminal felony indictment may be presented for any criminal charge that may be depicted on the subject video. Limitations prevents prosecution of any applicable criminal charge shown on said video."

Lieutenant Larry Sinclair says the Rockport Police Department will be in contact with federal authorities to see if any charges may be filed in a federal court.

CORPUS CHRISTI - An attorney for Aransas County Court-at-Law Judge William Adams has sent KRIS Communications a statement responding to some of the questions and allegations raised by that videotaped beating posted online by the judge's daughter.

Attorney William A. Dudley says this about the video in the statement on behalf of Judge Adams. "The seven year old video...was posted for reasons other than as professed by the publisher."

So what was the motive for the video release?

Dudley's statement makes this claim. "If the public must know, just prior to the you tube upload, a concerned father shared with his 23-year-old daughter that he was unwilling to continue to... be her primary source of financial support... Hillary warned her father if he reduced her financial support, and took away her Mercedes automobile, which her father had provided, he would live to regret it. The post was then uploaded."

The statement concludes with a plea from Adams that the investigation and legal process not be played out daily on a national stage.

Click here to read the full statement from the attorney.

ARANSAS COUNTY - After getting flooded with phone calls from across the country, business at the Aransas County courthouse is slowly getting back to normal.

County Court-at-Law Judge William Adams is still on leave from his duties, but a temporary replacement will sit in for the next couple weeks.

Retired Bexar County Judge Paul Canales will preside over cases in Adams' court. Judge Canales recently spent time covering cases in a San Patricio County courtroom.

"From what I'm told, they send them down for two week periods, and then the judge might go somewhere else and they'll send another judge or they might reassign him...that's up to them," County Judge Burt Mills told us.

Adams has agreed to stay off the bench until the matter over a video showing him repeatedly hitting his daughter with a belt is resolved.

The judge presides over a variety of cases, including those concerning child abuse.

Some have questioned whether he should continue to hear those types of cases considering the images of him repeatedly hitting his daughter.

Meanwhile, business at the court is slowly getting back to normal -- Judge Adams' office has reopened, and the excessive phone calls have slowed.

"It's not as bad a yesterday, but it's still interrupting business," said Judge Burt Mills.

Come Monday Adams' court will resume hearing all the cases scheduled on the court at-law docket.

ROCKPORT -- We've heard from Judge William Adams about his role in the beating caught on tape, but not much from Hillary's mother, Hallie Adams.

She appeared on the Today Show alongside her daughter this morning. "You turn over, I'm going to spank you on your butt. You turn over like a 16-year-old girl and take it. Like a grown woman, turn over," Hallie is captured yelling on the tape.

For all the criticism Judge William Adams has faced with the emergence of this 7-year-old beating caught on tape, many have also pointed fingers at mom. For not only allowing it, but taking an active role in the beating as well.

We heard her voice on the tape, but for the first time, she answered questions about her actions Thursday, non-specifically blaming a proclaimed addiction that affected Judge Adams' behavior. She did not elaborate on the suggested addiction.

"That still doesn't tell me why you participated in it and watched it," NBC's Matt Lauer pressed, "because I lived in an environment of dysfunction and it steadily got worse," Hallie explained.

Finally, she says, she left Adams in 2007.

"For the entire four years since I left the marriage I've been abused, a harassed, through texts, emails. I've had to cut him off, talking to him," explained Hallie. The two now share joint custody of Hillary's little sister, seen in the very first images captured before the beating.

Hallie claims he still uses that daughter to terrorize her. "He's threatened me to file for modification to take my younger daughter away from me," she explained. Although Hillary forgives her mother for the beating many won't forget the images of her on the tape and the words spoke from a mother's mouth. "I was completely brainwashed and controlled, I did every single thing that he did. When I leave the room, he's telling me what to say what to do," Hallie explained.

Hallie said she just saw the tape for the first time this week. Hillary says her mother cried when she watched it, and has apologized continually since then.

ARANSAS COUNTY -- The Youtube video is hard to watch. It shows a teenage girl being whipped several times with her dad's belt.

The girl who taped it, Hillary Adams, says her dad -- Judge William Adams -- punished her for for illegally downloading a file sharing program when she was about 16.

She said, "But I still don't think that punishment was warranted. It did not fit the crime."

Hillary says she hit the record button because she knew something was going to happen.

She says this wasn't the first time her dad whipped her and she wanted the evidence to prove it.

The reporter asked, "When this was all finished what did you do?"

She said, "Honestly I transferred it to the computer and immediately recorded over the tape. I don't think I told anybody."

Now, anyone in the world can view the disturbing video and Hillary says she's relieved to finally get her story out there.

She left from the airport around 5:00 this afternoon to go to New York City to appear on the Today Show.

She said she had no idea the video would get so much attention.

Hillary said, "This was very surprising. I was just seeking some form of slight validation. I just wanted to know what my family experienced wasn't normal."

Hillary says to the general public this video is even more shocking because her father is a public official but she says first...he's her dad so she hopes after seeing this, he gets the help he needs.

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ROCKPORT, Texas -- Hillary Adams says what you see in the video was her life for years.

She taped it in 2004, now releasing it to the world, and to hundreds of thousands of people.

On the phone this afternoon, she explained to me why now was the right time:

"It was a feeling," Adams said. "I knew that the right time was approaching and I had held onto the video for so long for the right time."

Hillary says she held on to it for 7 years knowing that she had proof of what was happening at home. But she says it wasn't about vengeance, she says showing the world this video is really about moving on.

"Waiting this long to publish it has enabled me to look at it with hindsight and not be so caught up in the passion of the moment," Adams said. "I think we do, my mother and I, we do need to try to move on past the anger and just concentrate on getting counseling and help."

And in a strange twist, she says the therapy she needs is being found in the internet, the very thing she says her father got angry about.

"I told him that I had the video, and he acted like he had nothing to worry about," she said. "And I said, I can post the video, of you beating me on the internet, and he said, 'well, you can do that if it makes you feel better.' So I did."

And tonight, Hillary says, in all seriousness, that today really is the first day of the rest of her life.

Hillary talked about what living with her father was like, and she says it was mostly a charade.

"He likes to tell people, look what I did for my wife and daughter," Hillary said.

Hillary Adams says her relationship with her father has been, not surprisingly, rocky over the last few years since this video was shot.

Adams says she communicates with her father only in writing, a request of his. Hillary says what people saw of her father in public was a show.

"I think a lot of the people in the community were tricked because all they saw was the outside," Adams said. "They saw him treating his wife and daughter, oh, look what I gave them, look at these amazing cars and watches and pianos, everything like that and just this other side of him, was hidden for so long, because he was so good at controlling the situation and covering anything up."

Today, when we spoke with Judge William Adams, he said the incident wasn't as bad as it seemed, something Hillary disputes.

"That's exactly like him, that's 100% something he would say, I cannot believe it," Adams said. "That's astounding and those are the exact kind of words he would use to tell our community that he was the good guy. And it's always, always worked. It is amazing."

The best part of going public, the vindication she feels from years of doubt.

"People are believing us now, instead of calling us liars like they have in the past," Hillary said.

ARANSAS COUNTY - From phones ringing non-stop to extra security, it was chaos at the Aransas County court house today as people wanted to voice their opinion about a video showing County Court at Law Judge William Adams beating his daughter in 2004.

"It's gone viral evidently it's gone around the world. I've had contract with canada and almost every state in the union," said County Judge Burt Mills.

Judge Mills says he's received nearly 300 emails concerning the incident and it doesn't stop there, "Our website has had almost 100,000 hits since this happened."

Even death threats have been made to Judge Adams and his clerk. Judge Adams office is closed for the time being and the courthouse has beefed up security. So far, they haven't reported any incidents.

However, business at the courthouse was at a standstill. Jury duty was even canceled for two days.

Adams won't be returning anytime soon. according to County Judge Mills, he's volunteered to take paid leave until the State Commission on Judicial Conduct reviews the case.

"Judge Adams has agreed he'll have a visiting judge for the near future," Mills said. When asked how long he replied, "Don't know yet but he'll not take the bench for awhile."

In the meantime, officers will continue to keep a watchful eye on visitors who enter the court house and clerks will continue fielding calls.

ROCKPORT - Channel 6 visited Rockport to find out what folks think about the video of Aransas County Judge William Adams beating his child seven years ago.

"I can't watch anymore."

"Here, I don't want to watch anymore."

"I don't need to see anymore of that."

Jan Shurr watched just a minute and a half of the beating caught on tape. Like most, she couldn't take much more of the seven-and-a-half minute video.

"I just don't think someone like that should be in the position of authority, much less a parent." said Shurr.

Pamela Frost is a CASA volunteer who's represented children in his courtroom often.

"I'm disturbed by seeing it. I don't know in his personal life, but he is the most just individual I have ever seen in a courtroom," said Frost.

The video is certainly the talk of town, but actually finding people to talk on camera was a difficult task. Some refuse because they have future court dates with the judge, others, out of support for him.

Henry Acuna has known the judge for several years and supports him. Even though Channel 6 confirmed the man with the belt is Judge Adams, he refused to believe it and still supports him.

"I saw a person, but I did not see his face," said Acuna.

"You don't believe it's him?"

"No. Really and truly," said Acuna.

Several folks said they'll use the power of the vote to show support or disgust with the video. Tom Lee said he's already made his mind up.

"I probably wouldn't vote for him again," said Lee.

His wife Kathleen said she'll have to think about it, but the images she saw will not soon leave her mind.

"He should have taken the computer away from her. Not do that. I'm sorry it's very upsetting," said Kathleen Lee.

ROCKPORT - We caught up with Aransas County Court-at-Law Judge William Adams as he left his home in Rockport today. At first he told us he would not comment on the video showing a girl being beaten with a belt and a board that was posted online.

Then he confirmed it is in fact his daughter being beaten and he tried to explain what happened when the video was shot in 2004.

"She's mad because I've ordered her to bring the car back, in a nutshell, but yeah that's me, I lost my temper," Adams told us. "Her mother was there, she wasn't hurt.. it was a long time ago.. I really don't want to get into this right now because as you can see my life's been made very difficult over this child," Adams continued.

When asked if he felt he was going to face any suspension or discipline from the state over the video Adams responded, "In my mind I have not done anything wrong other than discipline my child when she was caught stealing. I did lose my temper, I've apologized.. it looks worse than it is."

Adams added that he informed the Judicial Review board himself after seeing the video had been posted online by his daughter.

CORPUS CHRISTI -- The girl who says she posted a video with Aransas County Judge William Adams says she posted the video to get validation that her plight was not in vain.

By telephone, Hillary Adams tells 6 News that there was a moment when she thought posting the video, shot in 2004, was the right thing to do now.

"It was a feeling," Adams said. "I knew that the right time was approaching and I had held onto the video for so long for the right time."

Adams says she set the camera up, knowing what was going to happen, and says it's not for vengeance.

"Waiting this long to publish it has enabled me to look at it with hindsight and not be so caught up in the passion of the moment," Adams said. "I think we do, my mother and I, we do need to try to move on past the anger and just concentrate on getting counseling and help."

Adams said she hopes her father can get help to, but says when she said she told her father what she planned on doing, he didn't seem to think anything would happen.

"I told him that I had the video, and he acted like he had nothing to worry about," Adams said. "And I said, I can post the video of you beating me on the internet and he said, 'well, you can do that if it makes you feel better.' So I did."

600,000 hits later, she says she feels like it's a form of therapy. People, who didn't trust her before, now do.

"People are believing us now, instead of calling us liars like they have in the past," she said.

Judge William Adams spoke to reporter Andy Liscano, admitting it was him in the video, but says "it's not as bad as it seems" and said he apologized to his daughter for the incident.

Hillary denies that.

"Wow, that is a perfect example of his making light of the situation," she said. "He is a shining example of the way he would treat us. I just can't believe he would say something like, he doesn't think it's a big deal."

Adams says she's overwhelmed with the media reaction, and the reaction from popular sites like Reddit, who encouraged users to share the video.

Adams says she hopes her next step is a brighter future.

CORPUS CHRISTI - The ex-wife of Aransas Count Court-at-Law Judge William Adams has responded on Facebook about a video showing her daughter being beaten back in 2004.

Hallie Adams writes: "I am praying for my daughters and me and my family to heal in all ways from emotional and physical abuse, for the current and continuing abuse of my children and me that has been ongoing to end - starting now - for my daughters to both finally be able to go to counseling both individually and as a family group with their Dad's approval, encouragement, involvement and support, for him to finally make amends to all of us, talk openly with us, and take the first steps to letting our broken family heal."

Her daughter, Hillary Adams told us today she uploaded the video on October 27th to bring attention to the problems she says she had when she was younger. "My father's harassment was getting really bad, so I decided to finally publish the video that I had been sitting on for 7 years," Adams said.

ROCKPORT - Aransas County Court at Law Judge William Adams has spoken to our Andy Liscano about a video the judge's daughter posted on Youtube showing a beating in 2004.

Judge Adams told us, "It happened years ago.. I apologized."

When asked if he thought the conduct in the video was excessive, Judge Adams said, "It's not as bad as it looks on tape."

Judge Adams also informed us he has already contacted the Judicial Review in Austin and "more will come out" during the investigation.

We'll keep you posted.

CORPUS CHRISTI -- Aransas County officials say a video claiming to be County Court at Law Judge William Adams is causing major disruptions as people are flooding phone lines to complain.

Officials there say the Sherriff's office and local police have opened an investigation into claims by his daughter, Hillary Adams, who says she set up the camera in 2004 to catch what she called frequent beatings.

The seven minute, profanity laced video was posted October 27, but got national attention after being posted on Reddit, a popular internet site.

Adams, speaking to KRIS by phone from outside the coastal bend, says she's safe, and decided now was the time because she was tired of harassment by her father.

"My father's harassment was getting really bad, so I decided to finally publish the video that I had been sitting on for 7 years," Adams said.

"It had happened before, and had been escalating," Adams said. "I set up a camera, and I caught it."

Now the video has exploded online, topping 500,000 views in only a few hours.

Local officials now say they're stepping up police presence in the small town after many people have called in death threats.

This story is developing. Please check back for updates.

CORPUS CHRISTI - A video uploaded to YouTube is gaining national attention after it claims that Aransas County Judge at Law William Adams is the man in the video shown beating a young girl.

A description on the video says the girl in the video is Hillary Adams, the judge's daughter.

The video's timestamp shows it was uploaded October 27, but didn't receive national attention until today. Last night the video had 300 hits. As of 8:30 a.m., it had 225,000.

On the phone from outside the Coastal Bend, Hillary Adams says she uploaded the video to bring attention to the problems she says she had when she was younger.

"It had happened before, and had been escalating," Adams said. "I set up a camera, and I caught it."

Adams says she was downloading music from a peer-to-peer networking site, something she says her father had forbidden, before the incident happened.

"My father's harassment was getting really bad, so I decided to finally publish the video that I had been sitting on for 7 years," Adams said.

Adams says the abuse happened for years, but she never thought it was unusual.

"I thought abuse at some level was normal," Adams said.

Users on the popular site Reddit uploaded images of pizza orders they sent to his house overnight, and some said they were calling the Aransas County courthouse to leave messages.

Adams has not been available for comment.

(WARNING: This video may be disturbing to some viewers.) Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wl9y3SIPt7o&feature=youtu.be

We'll have much more on this story throughout the day.