Children & Meth
October, 2006

In Louisiana - A 13-month-old boy tested positive for Meth when his parents brought him to an emergency room after he ate something at home and got sick.  He was hospitalized but was expected to recover. No arrests have been made in the case.

In Florida - A former teacher of emotionally troubled students who was charged with possession of Meth earlier this year will serve three years of drug court supervision.  The 35-year-old woman was ordered to seek treatment and counseling after she pleaded no contest to a felony charge of carrying a controlled substance.  She was arrested in her school's parking lot in April.  A sheriff's detective had found a plastic bag with a gram of Meth and a straw that had been recently used to smoke the drug inside her pickup.

In Colorado – A former first-grade teacher was granted six more weeks to hire a lawyer despite a warning last week from the judge that he would not grant further continuances in her case.  It was the third time she delayed the hearing of her October 2005 case for Meth and marijuana possession charges.  She was arrested a second time last month on suspicion of check fraud and Meth possession.

In Nevada – A sixth-grade special education teacher and her husband, both 42-years-old, were arrested when officers discovered 26.3 grams of Meth and 186.2 grams of marijuana in their home.  A tip that the two were selling the drugs from their home led to the investigation and search.

In Colorado - A 26-year-old woman already convicted of possession of Meth now faces charges of child abuse because her newborn had the drug in her system.  She apparently used Meth the week before giving birth. The baby is doing well and is in the care of Social Services.

In Indiana – Police found a working Meth lab in a home near a daycare.  Officers were serving a warrant on a 40-year-old man who allegedly purchased an illegal amount of pseudoephedrine.  

In Tennessee – More information has been released concerning a Meth lab bust involving two young children.  The three-year-old girl and six-month-old boy are now in the care of the state after a hospital exam.  Officers found Meth near their beds when they raided their home.  The children's parents, grandmother and another man have been charged with felonies for child endangerment and Meth manufacturing.

In Colorado - A woman who police found unconscious and on Meth while her two young children played near guns and loaded syringes was sentenced to a year-and-a-half probation.  The woman, now 25-years-old, had put her kids up for adoption. No children live with her now.  When her kids did live with her, the 2-year-old answered the door one day and told officers his mom was in the basement. The 1-year-old was left with no one to watch him.  The woman was sentenced to 18-months of intensive supervised probation for possession of a controlled substance. She also will have a year of the same type of probation for a misdemeanor child abuse conviction and was ordered to complete 48 hours of community service.  She could go to prison if she violates her probation.

In North Carolina – When authorities raided a home Meth lab, they found a two-year-old child along with the lab and Meth.  A man and woman, both 42-years-old, were arrested and charged with maintaining a drug dwelling, possession of drug paraphernalia and misdemeanor child abuse.   The child was placed with its father.

In Hawaii – A high school teacher is accused of being a crystal Meth dealer.  The 29-year-old man is on administrative leave since his arrest.  He was a special education teacher for the past six years.  He's accused of selling crystal Meth to an undercover officer on five different occasions.  According to the U.S. Attorney on the case, he would negotiate to do the drug deals during school hours, while either sitting in his classroom or on the school campus. He faces up to life in federal prison if he’s convicted of the charges.

In Indiana – A photo shop manager at a pharmacy is under arrest on ties to a Meth lab and child pornography.  The 38-year-old man was arrested after numerous photos of nude girls were discovered that police have linked to him.  A woman store clerk discovered pictures of the nude girls who appeared to be between 10 and 13 years old on a disc of photos.  Officers found compact discs with thousands of child pornographic images in a search of a self-storage unit rented by the suspect, as well as a complete kit to make Meth.

In North Dakota – A 41-year-old woman who was found with Meth and a naked 11-month-old baby boy in the backseat of her car in September appeared in court for failing to register as an offender against children.  She pleaded not guilty and requested a court appointed attorney.

In California - A man faces felony drug dealing charges with an enhancement for possessing and selling Meth from his home.  The enhanced charges stem from the location – across the street from an elementary school.  Police seized 4-grams of Meth, scales and a cutting agent used to dilute the drug when they searched his home.

In Oregon – When a 25-year-old man wanted for smuggling Meth was pulled over by drug enforcement agents, he had his two sons, ages three and four, with him as well as his pregnant girlfriend.  The agents discovered at least a half-pound of Meth, packaged in a vacuum heat-sealed bag, in a specially designed compartment.  According to officials, the truck was specifically modified for smuggling drugs.  The children and pregnant woman were taken to a safe house.

In Missouri - A 26-year-old woman was sentenced to five years in prison for using Meth and marijuana during pregnancy. She pleaded guilty to endangering the welfare of a child. She gave birth in February in a car on the shoulder of an interstate, and hospital blood tests detected Meth in the bodies of both the mother and the baby girl. The child now lives in a foster home.

In California - Detectives serving a search warrant found a pound of crystal Meth, stolen items, firearms and ammunition at a home. A 19-year-old woman was arrested and a 12-year-old boy found in the home was taken into protective custody.  Officials are still searching for a 34-year-old man believed to be living at the residence.  Sheriff’s detectives brought in a locksmith to open a gun safe found in the house. There, they discovered 65 M1000 explosives.