A teenage girl installed security cameras to prove her father was abusing her inside their home in Okaloosa County, Florida, in December.
**Video contains disturbing content. Viewer discretion advised**
One of the disturbing videos the 14-year-old gave to authorities showed her father, Damon Becnel, 47, as he allegedly pointed a knife at her dog and threatened to kill it, according to WFLA.
“I’m killing the dog,” he said.
“Dad! No you’re not!” his daughter screamed as he approached it.
At one point in the video, the girl reportedly jumped on Bencel and yelled at him to stop. He then shoved her against the wall and headbutted her.
The second video showed Becnel allegedly grabbing the victim by the hair and knocking her head into the bedframe.
December 24, she told investigators that she was physically abused by Becnel the day before and provided the videos, according to the Northwest Florida Daily News.
The teen’s mother said her daughter tried to report the alleged abuse for several years but no one believed her until she installed the Nest Cams.
Concerned neighbors created a private Facebook group recently to offer the girl support and keep up with the case.
The about page read:
To follow this case through to the end, to support this brave, beautiful, precious child, to let her and all victims of abuse know WE CARE! Only LOVE & support and ONLY FACTUAL information is gathered and discussed in this group. No videos are allowed except the NEWS broadcasts that were previously fact-checked.
“We are watching, to the second he gets in front of the judge, cause we don’t want any society type things going on where he might get a little less,” said one of the group’s administrators.
Deputies arrested Becnel January 2 and charged him with child cruelty and cruelty to animals.
Following his arrest, the suspect was released on a $4,000 bond and ordered not to have any contact with the girl. However, he is expected to appear in court February 4.
“We have assigned this case to an experienced prosecutor who specializes in child abuse matters, she would be the assistant state attorney responsible for the prosecution. We intend to aggressively prosecute this case,” said Chief Assistant State Attorney William Bishop.