25-year-old Father and 3-month-old baby to brush snow off car ‘for TikTok views
(Image: KDFM)
A 25-year-old father is likely to face charges after using his 3-month-old baby to brush snow off a car in a viral TikTok video, police say. The man was seen using the infant’s entire body to clear snow from a car windshield in the clip, which sparked widespread outrage and concern for the child’s safety.
Authorities in Texas confirmed that the baby was unharmed but emphasized that the stunt put the child in danger. Port Arthur Police Chief Tim Duriso addressed the incident, stating, “It’s a sad situation. I know a lot of people go to social media and they are looking for clicks … but this is not a deal where you should put a baby on the windshield.”
Police conducted a welfare check on the baby after the video went viral and found that two other adults, one suspected to be the child’s mother, were present during the recording. “They checked on the baby. The baby was just fine,” Duriso added. The video has since been removed from TikTok as the investigation continues, Beaumont 12 News Now reported.
The incident has reignited debates about the lengths some individuals will go to for social media fame, often at the expense of safety and ethics. This is not the first time a social media stunt has led to legal consequences. In a separate case, YouTuber Trevor Jacob, 30, was sentenced to six months in federal prison for deliberately crashing a plane in a 2021 video titled “I Crashed My Airplane,” which garnered 4.4 million views.
Jacob, a former Olympian who competed in snowboarding at the 2014 Winter Olympics, gained online fame through extreme stunts, including skydiving and other high-risk activities. In the controversial video, Jacob departed from Lompoc City Airport in California before intentionally crashing his plane and parachuting to safety.
He later removed the wreckage, a decision he claims was based on “bad advice.” In an Instagram post, Jacob expressed regret but appeared to deflect responsibility for his actions. “Two years ago I jumped out of a perfectly good airplane and let it crash into the ground, took some bad advice, and decided to remove the wreckage,” he wrote.
Jacob thanked his family, friends, and legal team for their support, acknowledging the judge for “giving me a second chance at life.” While Jacob described the experience as life-changing, he stopped short of fully apologizing for the reckless stunt, which could have endangered lives. Instead, he advised his followers to “always wear parachutes,” framing himself as a wiser figure despite the consequences of his actions.
Both incidents highlight the growing trend of dangerous social media stunts aimed at gaining views and followers, often with little regard for safety or legal repercussions. As platforms like TikTok and YouTube continue to incentivize viral content, authorities are increasingly cracking down on behavior that endangers lives for the sake of online clout.
