Babysitter faces charges after recording a two-year-old boy vaping and sharing the footage of him coughing and crying on social media
- Video of a two-year-old boy inhaling from a vape device was shared on Snapchat
- The incident happened in St. Clair Township, Pennsylvania, last Thursday
- A 17-year-old girl was babysitting the child when he inhaled from the device
Two teenagers who were babysitting a two-year-old are facing charges after giving him a vaping device, filming him inhaling from it and then posting the video on Snapchat.
Two teenagers who were babysitting a two-year-old are facing charges after giving him a vaping device, filming him inhaling from it and then posting the video on Snapchat.
It’s not clear when the video was uploaded to Snapchat, but it started circulating on Sunday.
Video shows the child inhaling from the vape device, before coughing and falling down.
The boy begins to cry as the unidentified babysitter and an 18-year-old friend of hers, who was present at the time, laugh in the background.
Video of a two-year-old boy (pictured) inhaling from a vape device was shared on Snapchat while a 17-year-old was babysitting the child in Pennsylvania
Trooper Cliff Greenfield told WTAE: ‘This is something very serious. We’re taking it very seriously and there will be consequences.’
‘This is definitely something not to be laughed at. The child was in their care and the 17-year-old was charged with babysitting that child and certainly violated that duty of care.’
Authorities say the child took the vaping device from a nearby nightstand and instead of taking the device away, the teenagers recorded the moment.
The child coughed, fell down and cried after inhaling, while two teenagers laughed in the background
The device is believed to have contained 3 percent nicotine and did not have any traces of THC.
The child did not display any ill effects, other than coughing, after inhaling the smoke.
Authorities notified the child’s parents, who were unaware of that the incident ever took place.
Authorities addressed the situation on Twitter, saying the Crime Investigation Unit are aware of the footage.
‘The Troop A, Indiana Criminal Investigation Unit is aware of a video and is investigating the related incident in which a 2-year-old child was given a vaping device,’ they wrote.
Authorities: ‘The Troop A, Indiana Criminal Investigation Unit is aware of a video and is investigating the related incident in which a 2-year-old child was given a vaping device’
KDKA reports that charges of endangering the welfare of a child are pending.
The Unified School District of Armagh, Pennsylvania, confirmed that they believe two students in the area were involved in the matter.
Superintendent Dr. Barbara Parkins said in a statement: ‘United administration was made aware of the video today, and the matter is being investigated by the authorities.
‘We believe that two of our students were involved in the situation. The names of those students were provided to the authorities.’
The 17-year-old’s mother said that her daughter made a mistake and that it was quickly blown out of proportion.
The girl has reportedly received death threats and will be removed from school following bullying.
The investigation into the incident is ongoing.