Father held after forcing son into Facebook live boxing match

A man in the US state of Virginia has been charged with assault and battery after he posted a video on Facebook showing himself boxing with his 17-year-old son, media reported on Monday.

The video clip, which went viral, showed Tavis Sellers boxing his son as punishment for the teenagers' decision to walk out of lessons without telling the father earlier that day, Breitbart.com reported.

His son -- who was left battered, bloody and sobbing after the violent sparring match -- has been removed from the house by social workers as the investigation continues, the report said.

The five-minute fight video put online gained whole attention after being uploaded to several social media pages, receiving over 1.5million views.

As viewers expressed outrage at his behaviour, Sellers stood by the video, saying that it was his decision how to discipline the juvenile.

"Hi Facebook world. So my son, 17 years old, decided he wants to go to school and cut up (mess around) like he don't want to have to come home and see me", Sellers was quoted as saying at the start of the video.

"All day went by, he didn't call. So now it's discipline time because he didn't do what I told him to do. He chooses to do what he wants to do," Sellers said.

Sellers said he prefers boxing to beating his boy with a belt, first, "for not following my directions" and "secondly, (to) teach him how to defend himself."

After the brief prelude, Sellers pointed the camera toward his son and began sparring.

"Let's go. You gonna cut up in school; this is what you gotta deal with when you come home," Sellers said to his son as the two traded punches.

"I ain't worried about blood. I ain't worried about blood. Look at the wall," Sellers said as the boy sobbed and winced from the pain.

"Clean yourself up," the father said before forcing his son to deliver an on-camara apology to his teacher.

He went on to explain that he chose the specific form of punishment so that it both disciplines the teenager and teaches him how to defend himself. Tavis Sellers has been released on a $5,000 bond, the report said.

--IANS

rt/gb/vm