Mom Arrested After Daughter Licks Tongue Depressor

She took video of girl putting it back in canister
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 12, 2019 5:12 AM CDT
Updated Jul 12, 2019 6:34 AM CDT

A Florida mom says she was "just being silly" with her kids after waiting a long time at a Jacksonville medical center. Authorities say she committed a felony that carries a maximum sentence of 20 years. Cori Ward, 30, was arrested on a charge of tampering with a consumer product without regard for possible death or bodily injury after she shared a video of her daughter licking a tongue depressor and putting it back in the storage canister, News4Jax reports. The video, captioned "Don't tell me how to live my life," shows a sign reading: "Please don't touch medical supplies! Thank you!" Ward posted it to her Snapchat account, where it was copied and posted on a local Facebook group.

The clinic says it contacted police to request "a full and thorough investigation" when it became aware of the video, and also "removed all materials and container from the specific exam room and re-sanitized our entire facility." The day before she was arrested, Ward apologized for her conduct. "I mean, honestly, I wasn't thinking," she told WJAX. "I know what it’s like to, you know, have to worry about your kids' health and stuff. I would never put somebody else’s kid at risk.” The mother of five, who says she received death threats after the video went viral, is being held without bail, reports USA Today. (Last week, police in Texas tracked down a girl who was filmed licking ice cream and returning it to a store freezer.)

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