Teens in Video Beating Case Charged as Adults

When she finally was freed, the victim was taken to the Lakeland Regional Medical Center by ambulance for a concussion and damage to the left side of her face and head, according to authorities.

"When I saw my daughter in the emergency room, I didn't even recognize my own daughter," the teen's father, Patrick Lindsay, said during a news conference Monday with his wife, Talisa.

The couple lashed out at Web sites like MySpace and YouTube that they say provide forums for posting videos that desensitize teens to criminal behavior. "Now, if they can create the best shock video, they're the heroes," the victim's father said. "She just didn't deserve to be beaten like a dog."

Eight teens face charges in Polk County,... View Full Caption

Eight teens face charges in Polk County, Fla., for the videotaped beating of a 16-year-old peer. From left to right, top to bottom, the suspects include Cara Murphy, 16; Britney Mayes, 17; Kayla Hassell, 15; Zachary Ashley, 17; and Brittini Hardcastle, 17, all face felony charges tied to the attack, in addition to Mercades Nichols, 16; April Cooper, 14; and Stephen Schumaker, 18. Close

The high school student has had to make return trips to the doctor and is having nightmares, her mother said. She has yet not returned to school.

In one local report, Stephen Schumaker, 18, the only adult charged in the beating who allegedly stood watch outside the house with another male, denied doing anything wrong after he posted bail. "I had to spend two nights in jail for something I didn't do," Schumaker reportedly said.

But authorities say the video footage meant to celebrate the teen's beating tells the true story -- and the other suspects remain locked up.

If convicted of the battery and false imprisonment charges, the teenagers could be sentenced to up to 10 years each in state prison. The additional kidnapping charge three of the teenagers face could earn another 15 years behind bars.