A black woman has been accused of child abuse after beating her son with a computer cable for using Facebook without permission

Althea Ricketts, 62 has been charged with aggravated child abuse. Ricketts first found out about her son's account after an acquaintance told her about a disturbing post on his Facebook profile page. Her son had posted a worrying message which indicated that he might try to hurt himself. In an interview with police, the boy, whose age was not released, said that his mother had become angry and beaten him with a cable at their home in Apopka, Florida. An arrest report states that Ricketts called back and told the woman she'd hit her son and he'd run away from home. He was later found at a friend's home with injuries to both arms, police said. The boy was nervous and crying when he arrived at the friend's house police were told. One resident said that when confronted Ricketts had said that the boy deserved everything he got. Arresting documents state that Ricketts told police that the boy had lied to her about having the page, and that she'd become angry and hit him with a computer cable inside their home. The arresting officer wrote in a report that Ricketts said that hitting a child with a cable is a common way of disciplining kids where she comes from.