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15th Aug 2017

Youtube prank couple charged with child neglect

"We put things on the internet that should not be there."

Anna O'Rourke

A couple who became famous for their Youtube prank videos have been charged with child neglect.

Michael Martin and his wife Heather are father and stepmother to five kids and run the Youtube channel DaddyOFive.

They face two charges of mistreating two of their children, 12-year-old Emma and nine-year-old Cody between November 2016 and April 2017, according to The Sun.

The couple, from Maryland in the US, drew criticism in the past for pranks on their children which some critics branded as abuse.

One video showed Michael martin encouraging the children to slap each other.

Another showed the couple giving out to son Cody while falsely accusing him of spilling ink on the carpet until the boy cries.

The videos have been delete from the channel, while Michael and Heather posted an apology video in April.

“We put things on the internet that should not be there,” said Michael in the video.

The couple lost custody of Emma and Cody to their biological mother in April of this year, reports People.

Their attorney told The Fredrick Post that a plea deal had been reached between the couple and the prosecutors.

The maximum punishment they face is five year in prison for each count.