An Indonesian businessman who humiliated a teenager by forcing him to “bark like a dog” in an incident captured on viral video has been charged under child protection laws following a public outcry over alleged corruption.

According to an account told to local journalists by Ethan’s mother, Ira Maria, Ivan then forced Ethan to lie on the ground and “bark like a dog.”

“I was so scared for my son and for me because (Ivan) had some tough-looking thugs with him that I let my son endure public humiliation,” Ira said.

She said she believed the matter had been resolved, but Ivan still demanded a formal apology via a recorded video and a notarized written statement, which she and her husband flatly rejected.

A few days later, a video of what happened outside the school gates – a legal teenager publicly humiliated by a grown man – went viral on social media, sparking instant outrage from Indonesian online users.

“Our family still tried to show good faith by agreeing to another meeting with Ivan, mediated by the school principal,” Ira said. She decided to speak out after the video went viral and knew public opinion was on her side, adding that Ivan continued to scold her son and forced him to “get fat like a dog”.