One of the stars of MTV’s reality show “Teen Mom,“ which follows several teenage mothers as they attempt navigate the minefield of being both a teenager and a mother, may face felony charges over her physical abuse of her ex-fiancé on the air. Amber Portwood was caught on tape punching, slapping and kicking Gary Shirley, the father of her child and her sometimes fiancé. It’s happened more than once in front of the reality crew that documents their life, and it may land Portwood in jail.
The assault, which aired on the September 28th episode of the show, happened in front of the couple’s daughter Leah and that’s what makes it a potential felony. In the state of Indiana domestic violence in front of a child under the age of fourteen can be considered a felony. Hollywoodlife.com reports that the police in Anderson, Indiana, have confirmed that Amber may face felony charges.
Amber is also in danger of losing her child – an investigation is currently underway with the Department of Child Services. In Indiana, charges can also be filed against people who saw or suspected abuse of a child but failed to report it. The law is clear: “Failure to report child abuse/neglect is a crime … Indiana law requires any person who has reason to believe that a child is a victim of abuse or neglect to make an immediate oral report to DCS or to law enforcement.”
