. >> reporter: last friday while mark and heather martin appeared to a talk show, a lawyer went to courtical mother of the children. con lon got a temporary order taking the children away from mike martin, claiming he's an unfit father. >> he physically buysed him. you can see based on the video, that one where he threw him into the bookcase. >> mike and heather martin have claimed that the videos are pranks and the children played along. but the lawyer says it doesn't matter if the kids cooperated or not. >> being on tv, screaming epithets to the point where children cry, forget youtube and the physical stuff, a cop would run up, tackle you, and take you away. >> reporter: it would be up to a judge to decide who gets custody. the decision will be made based on what's in the best interest of the children. reporting from frederick, maryland, chris gordon, news4. >>> it was not your typical group of protesters today. babies in strollers rolled up on capitol hill today. the demonstration was called strolling thunder. more than 50 families from all over the country marched and visited the of

reporter: 9-year-old cody martin, berated with profanities by his father and stepmother mike and heather martin. he cries hysterically while the screaming continues for more than three minutes. >> you did it! you both did it! >> reporter: what it seems cody doesn't know, it's a so-called prank. >> i got a prank for cody. i bought this here invisible ink. and i'm going to squirt it all over his carpet and start flipping out. >> reporter: even after the big reveal -- >> you just got owned. it's just a prank, brah. >> reporter: the kids aren't laugh. the entire 84 deal was uploaded to the maryland family's popular youtube page daddy o five which features many similar stunts. the video sparked outrage. "this makes me shudder." "mental abuse." >> i am ashamed. this just -- it started out as family fun. it started with me and my kids. then it was just about making a video and then making the next video more crazier than the next. >> they would get exciting when they would get a lot of views. it was more for shock value. >> i'm tired of this. >> reporter: what they also got was backlash from fellow vi

. >>> mike and heather martin said they just wanted their children to be happy but they went about it wrong way, beyond wrong according s the martin's lost temporary custody because of these youtube videos. they filmed these so-called pranks in their home and made hundreds and thousands of dollars doing it. the children's father and step mother said the kids were in on the prank but an attorney for the children's biological mother said it doesn't matter. it's abuse. >> creamiscreaming to the point children cry, if you did it at the mall, forget youtube and the physical stuff a cop would take you away. >> there is another hearing this friday and it is up to a judge to decide who gets custody. >>> tonight we have the inspiring story of a world renowned opera star from virginia. >> his name is feeto green. he has had success on stage. his recent performance in new york's metropolitan ope hailed as a show stopper. ♪ >> what a voice and what a presence. he says he struggled with anger issues growing up in a trailer park across from a crack house in virginia. by age 12 he was locked up for

. >> the youngest two are heather martin's stepchildren. their biological mom has come forward releasing her own video with her lawyer announcing michael and h lost custody and the children are now in her care. >> emma and cody are with me. i have emergency custody. >> reporter: the mother's attorney says police and the court were in strew mental in reuniting her with her children. >> one, two three. >> videos posted by the martins on popular daddy of five youtube channel sparked backlash. many called the cup al bu sieve. last friday the martins told us some of the videos were staged. >> some stuff is real. some stuff was acted out, scripted. >> mike dez says deep down he thought becoming a celebrity would make his kids proud. >> everybody was so happy to be a youtuber, making these videos, getting the views. when my kids looked at me, i was, i was their hero. >> reporter: tj holmes, abc news, new york. >> well there are a few stories garnered as much comments as this one on our facebook page recently. >> right. viewers reacting to this big

and the videos wracked up millions of views but the youngest two are heather martin's stepchildren.t michael and heather martin have lost custody and the children are now in her care. >> emma and cody are with me. i have emergency custody. >> reporter: the mother's attorney says police and the court were instrumental in reuniting her with her children. >> one, two, three. >> reporter: the videos posted by the martins on the popular daddyofive youtube channel sparked a backlash. many called the couple abusive, but last friday, the martins told us some of the videos were staged. >> some stuff is real. some stuff was acted out, scripted. >> reporter: mike says deep down he thought becoming a celebrity would make his kids proud. >> when my kids looked at me, i was -- i was their hero. >> reporter: for "good morning america," t.j. holmes, abc news, new york. >> we have reached out to the martins, and they are not commenting at this time. our senior legal analyst sunny hostin joins us now with more on this. so, any chance that you think that they'll get the children back? should they get

. >> mike and heather martin are accused of abusing their kids, but claim it was a prank.ne of the videos shows him smashing his son's xbox and someone comes in the room to show the boy it's a prank. earlier this week, they posted an apology on youtube and the children's biological mother was given emergency custody of the kids. a judge will rule on whether the children can return to the martins' home. >>> an incident involving a noose under investigation at the university of maryland. >> it's one of the stories we're working on at 5:00. jim and wendy are in the newsroom. >> just days after the incident at american university, we're learning that the university of maryland is now investigating a bias incident. >> and this involves a noose found inside the kitchen of a fraternity house. reaction from students. >> we'll take a look at the troubling symbolism of a noose and why it cannot be taken lightly. >>> also tonight, an important initiative happening in prince george's county, it impacts those of you trying to take care of older parents. >> the county is trying to incre

more than 700,000 subscribers and made between 200,000 and $500,000 for the adults, mike and heather martin. they said it was just a prank. >> want to play games, let's play games! >> reporter: the adults apologized, saying the kids, cody and emma, were in on it. but the children's biological mother, rose paul, now has a lawyer and on friday got a temporary custody order. he of abuse. >> mental abuse is clear and so are the other abuses. the kid being in on it doesn't matter. >> reporter: the children's case is here at the frederick county circuit court, ahead where the children are now and what's likely to happen next. back to you. >> thank you, chris. >>> in news4 your heath, african americans are living longer compared to 20 years ago, but are still more likely to die at a younger age. a new report says the african american death rate dropped and the death rate from heart disease is now the same as white. but the report reveals that racial disparities have not gone away. an african american's life expectancy, still four years less than white americans. african americans in their 20s, 30s

. >> in response michael and heather martin's attorney e-mailed us saying it would be highly inappropriateails of this sensitive matter or any associated proceedings publicly all information will be presented to the court at the appropriate time. mike martin and rose hall return to court on friday for another hearing and their continual custody battlement local and state authorities have been investigating the martin family the other three heater martin's children from a previous relation high pressure. >> shawn and i will be back at 11. coming up next it's jim and sarah with fox5 news at zero:30 what's up next. >> next here at ten:30 showing your id. interesting no matter what your age. >> we're going to break down a new policy from one county when it comes to buying boost. >> weeks after a passenger was dragged off a united flight ceos come to capital hill. we've seen boxes swiped from people's porches before, but not flower boxes. got those stories and more coming up at 10:30. (announcer) there's more to life than the climb. there's the view. you've gotta stop and look around a little.

>> mike and heather martin uploaded hundreds of videos to a youtube channel and made thousands of dollarshem. they scream profanities and film the kids fighting each other. the couple says the kids were in on it but last month they apologized for what they call terrible parenting decisions. i'll say. prosecutors are still trying to decide whether the martins will face any charges. >> parents across the country struggle to find child care that is affordable. here in the district today the mayor was there cutting the ribbon on a new child care facility but while there she was hit with some tough questions. mark segraves was there and has this report. >> reporter: it started off as a typical ribbon cutting event for bowser was using the occasion to highlight her proposal to fund more day care facilities in the district. >> that initiative is aimed at the creation of 1,300 more faint and toddler slots across the district, so an investment of $15 million. >> reporter: when mayor bowser opened the floor for questions it was a grandmother in a crowd, 68-year-old virginia benjamin who spoke up fi

as for the other three children in martin's care, they're heather martin's children from a previous relationshipde haves sent to liver the commencement so much at historically black university, not everyone is happy about it. we will tell you why the school's president is standing behind that decision. ronica. >> reporter: jim, the headlines broke over the weekends that the government would not shutdown. and that the tru concession. no funding for the law, but today, the administration released photos of the wall they say they've hundreds of millions of dollars to funds in this 2017 budget. we'll explain after the break. . [car engine failing to start] [wind blows] yo- ah- he- [gas pouring] [slurps loudly] [engine starting] [loud slurping continues] hey allergy muddlers are you one sneeze away from being voted out of the carpool? try zyrtec® it's starts working hard at hour one and works twice as hard when you take it again the next day. stick with zyrtec® and muddle no more®. at dominion, we're putting our energy to work creating a cleaner environment by using cleaner energy sources like solar,

mike and heather martin had hundreds of thousands of subscribers and made lots of money.said that the kids, 9-year-old cody and 12-year-old emma, were in on it, and played along with the pranks. but the videos prompted complaints, and the couple apologized. >> we realized that we had made some terrible parenting decisions. the lawyer said he got a call from youtubers who asked him to represent the children's last friday, he went to court and got an order giving her temporary custody, saying the kids are victims of abuse. >> in the video, you can see him throwing the boy cody into a bookcase and he comes away with a bloody nose through the bathroom, while he's tearful and inconsolable. >> reporter: he says the children have also suffered mental abuse. >> the kids are going to be deprogrammed like cult people. 400 videos of this stuff that involves vulgarity, shouting, getting up in their business, physical portions of it. >> reporter: the news about this youtube channel has literally been reported around the world. new york magazine reported that the couple made between an

mike and heather martin are accused of abusing their kids with those so-called pranks that they shared with viewers on their youtube channel and made a lot of the kids were removed from the home, placed in the custody of their biological mother and tomorrow the judge will rule whether the children can return to their father and stepmother. the martins claim the videos were a prank and that the [ female announcer ] are you one of millions of women embarrassed by hair loss or suffering from thinning hair? you have a personalized, proven solution right here. welcome to hair club. i had my self-confidence back. my husband was like, "that's my wife." [ female announcer ] hair club offers a wide range of private, designed-for-you hair loss solutions, each of them proven and backed by a 100% satisfaction guarantee. call or go online for more details. do you realize how nice it is for someone to walk up to you and say, "my god, you have the most beautiful head of hair"? [ female a