Global General

Special

Newsmaker

Asia Pacific

America

Middle East

Europe

Africa

Teenager gets 8 years for coaxing nephews to smoke marijuana

(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-07-25 11:44

FORT WORTH - A teenager shown on a video coaxing his 2- and 4-year-old nephews into smoking marijuana was sentenced Thursday to eight years in prison.

Demetris McCoy, 18, pleaded guilty to two charges of injury to a child/causing bodily injury and agreed to testify against his co-defendant, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported online Thursday.

Related readings:  Early smoke exposure increases infection risk  Children's exposure to second-hand smoke a global concern: study  Marijuana replaces poppies as cash crop  Is salvia the next marijuana?

The video shows one teen lighting a marijuana cigarette in the 2-year-old's mouth, then laughing as the toddler coughs. One teen then tells him to pass it to his brother, who also smokes it and coughs. Parts of the video showed someone calling the children "potheads" and asking if they "have the munchies."

Drug tests showed the youngsters had marijuana and cocaine in their bodies. When the video was made, the children's mother was sleeping in another room, police have said. She was not arrested.

The children, their mother, grandmother and McCoy lived together at the time. The children have since been placed in foster care.

Fort Worth police found the video while searching a house in connection with a burglary investigation in which McCoy also was charged. He pleaded guilty to two burglary charges and received eight-year sentences that he will served at the same time, the newspaper reported.

The co-defendant Vanswan Polty, 19, remains in jail awaiting trial. He faces two charges of injury to a child, three charges of burglary and one charge of failing to identify himself to a peace officer.