Suspended sentence for abusive step mom

adopted Russian-born son’s mouth was given a suspended sentence of 180 days on Monday.
Jessica Beagley, convicted last week of a single count of misdemeanor child abuse, was also placed on three years probation by an Anchorage District Court judge, who ordered her to continue counseling.
Beagley, a 36-year-old mother of six who is married to an Anchorage policeman, was fined US$2 500, The fine was also suspended so long as she completes her probation to the satisfaction of the court.
She had faced a maximum sentence of a year in prison and US$10 000 in fines.
“As a mother, I feel that it’s my most important job to love, care for, nurture and teach my children. I’ve tried to do that every single day that I’ve been a mom,” a tearful Beagley said before the sentence was imposed.
Municipal prosecutors filed the charge against Beagley after home-made video of her discipline methods aired last November on the “Dr Phil” show, a pop psychology programme, sparking a furor in both the United States and Russia. Outraged viewers alerted authorities to the footage, which showed Beagley pouring hot sauce into the seven-year-old boy’s mouth and making him stand in a cold shower. – Reuters.