DADDYOFIVE Couple Sentenced to Five Years Probation for Child Neglect

Michael and Heather Martin, the couple behind the DaddyOFive YouTube channel, have been sentenced to 5 years probation for filming brutal pranks and violent challenges starring their own children.

DaddyOFive seemed like a lot of other family vlogs, except there was one big difference. Heather and Michael often filmed videos where they would prank their 5 children.

One video involved the two parents pouring disappearing ink on the carpet and blaming their 10-year-old son Cody. Other videos involved the children slapping each other for failing at challenges. Another prank involved staging a home invasion, which ended with Micheal pointing a gun at one of the children disguised as a burglar.

The videos were brought to mainstream attention by YouTube commentator Philip DeFranco and many people reported the DaddyOFive channel to YouTube and to law enforcement for possible child abuse.

A month later, Cody and Emma, the two youngest who are also Michael’s biological children, were back in the custody of their biological mother, Rose Hall.

However, the investigation into the Martin family continued.

According to BuzzFeed, “After the Martins and their five children underwent psychological evaluations, it was found that .. 10-year-old Cody and 11-year-old Emma suffered “mental injury” as a result of the videos.”

The three older children, all Heather’s, were found to have suffered no mental injury because of the videos. As for Michael and Heather, evaluations showed “an extreme lapse in judgment,” but that there was “no intention to injure the children.”

With a massive amount of evidence against them, the Martins struck a plea deal. Both Heather and Michael are sentenced to 5 years probation. Pending their custody case, the Martins have also been ordered not to contact Emma or Cody, nor may they post videos of them to social media.

However, the Martins could be returning to YouTube again.

The Martin’s attorney Stephen Tully said that it was a “possibility” that the family would continue to post videos of themselves and their three other children, adding “Just not in the same fashion as before.” 

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