When no one believed a teenage girl from Florida that her father was abusive towards her and their family’s dogs, she took matters into her own hands.
According to WEAR, no one believed the 14-year-old daughter of 47-year-old Damon Richard Becnel when she told people that he had been abusing her for years. So, in order to stop the abuse once and for all, she planted a video camera in their bedroom.
After catching Becnel in the act, the brave teenager turned the video evidence into the authorities. The video has now spread across social media. The teen’s mother gave WEAR permission to share the video, so long as her daughter’s identity isn’t revealed.
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Warning: The video you are about to watch may be disturbing to some.
A 14-Year-Old Girl Installs Video Camera in Dad’s Home When No One Believed He Was Abusing Her
The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed that the man in the two videos the teen turned over is, in fact, the 14-year-old’s father. The video shows Becnel yelling at her and threatening to kill their dogs. The abuse then escalates and Becnel becomes physical with the teen.
He is seen throwing his daughter against a wall and headbutting her. The teen is heard in distress, constantly begging her father to stop.
The 14-year-old’s mother told WEAR that she knew her daughter had tried reporting the abuse for years and that no one was believing her. It’s unclear how much the woman knew about her daughter’s abuse.
The video is reportedly six minutes long. Becnel, according to The Destin Log, has been described as a prominent businessman within the Destin, Florida community, who is a managing partner for at least 26 businesses. A woman, who used to work with Becnel, says she’s outraged that the father was allowed out on $4,000 bail.
“His behavior. We’ve all seen bits and pieces of it, but not that side of him in the familial sense. He committed acts against two of the most innocent creatures this earth has graced us with, a child and a puppy. That’s what I think everyone is up in arms about. I think it needs to be handled the right way or it’s going to be really bad.”
She continued, “There’s a lot of things that get brushed under the rug with families that have been here for a long time and have worked very hard to have a well-respected name. It just seems this generation of their children are running wild and they’re not held accountable for anything.”
Another member of the community, Carmel Ceravolo, agrees and also hopes Becnel isn’t just let off with a slap on the wrist because of his prominence within the community.
Ceravolo said, “I’m hoping local law enforcement, judges, and state attorneys do their due diligence to ensure justice is served. We need to ensure this guy does not just get a slap on the wrist because he’s from Destin and has money.”
Mom Fights for Custody
Shockingly, because the teen’s mother did not have custody of the girl, Department of Child Services’ safety plan allowed Becnel to choose who would look after her. He chose one of his best friends. According to WEAR, the mother is now fighting to get custody of the teen.
After filing a Petition for Injunction Against Domestic Violence, The Destin Log reports that the mother claims her daughter asked her father is “he was going to kill her, to which he replied ‘maybe.’”
And after he reportedly confiscated the teen’s phone, ″(She) escaped Damon’s house while he was asleep and walked miles to Walmart in Destin, purchased a burner phone and called her babysitter.”
According to The Destin Log, Becnel was charged with child cruelty and cruelty to animals on January 2.