AN Alaskan woman who squirted hot sauce into the mouth of her adopted Russian son for lying about getting in trouble in school was convicted Tuesday of misdemeanor child abuse in what prosecutors said was a ploy to get on the “Dr. Phil” TV show.

    Jessica Beagley, 36, made a videotape of how she punished the boy and submitted it to the show. The tape shows Beagley yelling at the crying boy, then tipping his chin up and pouring hot sauce in his mouth.

    It was recorded on a videotape submitted to the “Dr. Phil” show. Anchorage police got calls from viewers after the show aired last October.

    Beagley could face the maximum sentence of one year in jail, a US$10,000 fine and up to 10 years of probation when she is sentenced Monday, said District Judge David Wallace. She remains free without bail because the case is a misdemeanor.

    Beagley and her husband adopted the twins in 2008 when they were 5 years old. One of the twins made a fairly easy adjustment to his new home in Alaska, but the other exhibited behavioral problems that included lying and urinating on the floor.

    Beagley’s attorney said his client turned to unconventional forms of punishment when spankings, time-outs and restricting television weren’t effective in changing the boy’s behavior.

    When the episode aired, it sparked public outrage in Russia, with some people demanding the boy and his twin brother be returned to their native country. (SD-Agencies)