Youtubers charged with neglect after ‘making brother hit sister on camera’

A YouTube couple famous for their family videos have been charged with neglect after ‘encouraging children to hit each other’.
In a clip which sparked outrage, now taken down from their site, Michael Martin tells his son: ‘You know you don’t hit girls. But she’s your sister, she don’t count.’
The boy slaps his sister, sending her reeling backwards and crying out in distress.
Michael and Heather Martin, from Maryland, run the channel DaddyOFive which has over 700,000 subscribers.
Many of their videos showed them ‘pranking’ their children.
They have posted an apology saying they have started family counselling to deal with their issues.
‘What started out as family fun and entertainment took on a life of its own,’ they said of their channel.
‘Before we knew it, we were caught-up in our family’s popularity which led to some poor decisions.
‘Upon reflection, we realise there were mistakes made that caused our family some pain.’
‘We offer our most humble and sincere apology to those we negatively impacted and offended, particularly our wonderful children. Our children are safe.
‘Off camera and out of character, they are normal, happy kids who play sports and love being with their family and friends.’
They have been told to enter a plea on September 11.
If guilty, they could be jailed for up to five years.