Florida Mother Accused of Beating Son for Using Facebook

APOPKA, Fla. – A Florida woman was charged with aggravated child abuse after beating her son with a cable for using Facebook without her permission, The Orlando Sentinel reported Saturday.

Althea Ricketts, 62, was told of her child's account on the social networking website after an acquaintance advised her that he had posted a message which indicated he might try to hurt himself.

In an interview with police, the boy, whose age was not released, said his mother had gotten angry and beaten him with a cable in their Apopka, Fla., home.

He then ran away to a friend's house, where he was later found with injuries to both arms.

Ricketts told police the boy had lied to her about using Facebook and that she had become angry and hit him. She was booked into the Orange County Jail, where she was being held without bail on Saturday.