THE FAMILY LAW judge whose daughter secretly filmed him beating her seven years ago will not face criminal charges.

Aransas County Court-at-Law Judge William Adams likely would have been charged with causing injury to a child or other assault-related offences for the 2004 beating of his then-16-year-old daughter, but the five-year statutes of limitations expired.

Police said they believe that there was a criminal offence involved and that there was substantial evidence to indicate that and under normal circumstances a charge could have been made.

Hillary Adams, now 23, posted the 8-minute clip on YouTube last week that shows her father viciously lashing her with a belt.

The clip had received more than 2.4 million hits as of yesterday, and police began investigating on Wednesday after hearing from concerned citizens.

William Adams, 51, issued a three-page statement saying his daughter posted the clip to get back at him for telling her he would be reducing the amount of financial support he gives her and taking away her Mercedes.

He told Corpus Christi television station KZTV on Wednesday that the video “looks worse than it is,” that he had already apologised to his daughter and that he was just disciplining his child for stealing.

Hillary Adams says her parents were angry because she had downloaded pirated content online, and that she turned on the camera because she sensed something was going to happen.

William Adams, who presides over child abuse cases, is still being investigated by the state’s judicial conduct commission and the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, which requested that he be removed from its cases until the investigation concludes.

There are no allegations of alleged abuse by Adams against his younger daughter, who primarily resides with her mother, Hallie Adams.

If the judicial commission and police investigations don’t lead to punishment or charges, Adams could be safe on the bench until he’s up for re-election in three years.

Hillary Adams said she waited so long to expose her father because she was terrified at what might have happened had she done so while still living under his roof.

She said the outpouring of support and encouragement she’s received since posting the clip is tempered by the sadness that it’s her father repeatedly lashing her with a belt and threatening to beat her “into submission.”