Bully and Sadist
To make matters worse the father - William Adams - is a family court judge in Texas.
Incredibly he's not in the least sorry for his actions - he believes every parent has the right to chastise their child in this way.
At the time young Hilary was only 16 - and it's taken seven years for the young woman (now 23) to build up the courage to publish the secret video recording she made - of her ordeal which wasn't a one-off incident.
Here's the You Tube link.
But be warned it's a video nasty - and in the UK you'd be arrested for treating a dog - in the same way that Judge Adams laid into his own defenceless daughter.
http://youtu.be/TVil0y3kUu4
The only saving grace is that Hilary's mother - Hallie Adams - who was complicit in the beating and features in the film along with her husband - has accepted the error of her ways.
But what a shocker - that such well educated, respectable and apparently normally American parents - could be responsible for such cruelty towards one of their own.
What's wrong with these people?
Judge Adams has been relieved of his duties for two weeks while inquiries are carried out - but I fail to see how such a sadist and bully can remain in public office.
The frightening thing is how young people like Hilary are supposed to know what's normal - because to the outside world - the Adams would have seemed like the perfect all-American family.
The way to break this cycle of violence is to show Hilary's film in schools - even if it is upsetting - so that young people talk about the issues involved - and understand that such behaviour is completely unacceptable.
Meanwhile Judge Adams has no place in a public court - he deserves to be put on trial and forced to confront - his bullying, sadistic behaviour.
