Child endangerment charges are pending against two teenagers after a video posted to Snapchat appears to show a 2-year-old child using a vaping device, Pennsylvania State Police say.
According to a news release from police, a 17-year-old female was babysitting the child in St. Clair Township, Pennsylvania, on Thursday, January 9, while another 18-year-old female was also present.
The 2-year-old boy took a vaping device from a nightstand and began to use it, authorities say. Neither of the teens tried to stop the child from inhaling from the device, police say, and instead took video and posted it to social media.
In the video, a child can be seen using the vape while people laugh in the background. The video appears to show the child coughing and crying.
The video, posted to Snapchat, was reported to police. Troopers notified the toddler's parents three days later, WPXI reports. They had no idea what had happened.
The mother of the child, who didn't want her face shown, was appalled to see the video, according to WPXI.
"I'm disgusted. I'm very upset," the mother says. "I'm in disbelief they would even laugh or even have something like that in reach of a child's possession."
The vape contained 3% nicotine, but no THC, authorities say. Besides coughing, the child is doing fine. But his mom is livid.
"I’m not trusting anybody anymore to babysit my child. I’m done," she says. "I don’t even want to put him in daycare. I can’t trust anybody anymore."
The United School District of Armagh, Pennsylvania, told KDKA they believe two of their students were involved in the incident. The names of the two teenagers haven't been released.
