"Toddlers & Tiaras" never fails to provide shocking television footage. But this might be a new low for the reality show. A mother who dressed her young daughter up as Dolly Parton - complete with a padded bra and sculpting underwear - for a child beauty pageant that aired on TLC's "Toddlers & Tiaras," now could possibly lose custody of her daughter after her estranged husband claimed she sexually exploited their daughter by allowing her to dress so provocatively.

The six-year-old girl, Little Maddy Verst's appearance in the skimpy costume on an episode of the polarizing TLC program has sparked heated criticism of her mother, Lindsay. Her father, Bill Verst, has asked a Kentucky court to grant him sole custody of his daughter. During a court proceeding Saturday, a judge threw reporters out of the courtroom, closed the hearing and placed a gag order on mother Lindsay Jackson. The judge also imposed a ban on any pageant activity for Maddy or her mother for the duration of the trial.

A court-appointed psychologist condemned the Parton costume, and has recommended that a judge make Verst the girl's sole custodial parent. Jackson said the costume was never meant to be sexual and that she shouldn't be at risk of losing her daughter.

Jackson told FOXNews.com. that if the judge grants Verst's petition because Maddy did pageants with her mother, "then that opens the door for any parent to challenge anybody on any activity that a kid does, period."

Jackson dressed her daughter herself in the Dolly Parton costume, telling the show, "When she wears the fake boobs and the fake butt, it's just like an added extra bonus and it's really funny when she comes out on stage and everybody thinks it's hysterical."

But not everyone found the performance hilarious. Online commenters have been quick to express their disgust for the costume and for the perceived sexualization of little girls on the show.

Of course, this isn't the first instance of a mother from the program drawing scorn. Wendy Dickey was condemned for dressing her 3-year-old daughter, Paisley, in a racy costume that mimicked the outfit worn by Julia Roberts' prostitute character from the movie "Pretty Woman." The costume consisted of a fitted, skin-baring white blouse, tight blue mini-skirt and thigh-high, shiny black boots. Paisley wore it all - complete with a blond wig, which Roberts' prostitute character also wore - and critics and children's advocates erupted in outrage.

Maddy's custody case resumes court proceedings on Aug. 31.