An Oregon man who drugged his daughter and her friends with fruit smoothies laced with a sleeping medication after they didn’t go to bed during a sleepover was sentenced to two years in prison.

Michael Meyden, a 57-year-old from the Portland suburb of Lake Oswego, apologized during his sentencing Monday after pleading guilty to three felony counts of causing another person to ingest a controlled substance, The Oregonian reported.

“My whole life is destroyed,” he told the court. “Everything that was important to me up until that point is gone.”

  • disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world
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    5 months ago

    Every parent has had this thought at some point. I’ve even joked about it with other parents, but I never thought in a million years anyone would actually do it. I’ll admit to buying too much pizza and hoping the kids knock off early, but serving up benzo smoothies to 12-year-olds is fucking insane. He deserves what he gets, and should not be allowed near children without a lot of mandated therapy.

      • Delta
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        source

        Sometime between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m., Meyden prepared the smoothies “and insisted they drink them,” the girls told police. The drinks had “tiny white chunks throughout and sprinkled on top,” the affidavit says.

        One of the girls said she didn’t like smoothies and declined to drink hers, but Meyden insisted, even making a second one for her to try, Palmeri wrote.

        wtf

        He also moved one girl’s arm and moved her body on the bed, the affidavit says. The girl “remained awake in fear that Mr. Meyden was going to do something” to her friend, according to the affidavit.

        The affidavit says Meyden walked out of the room, prompting a girl to text her mother at 1:43 a.m. Sunday: “Mom please pick me up and say I had a family emergency. I don’t feel safe. I might not respond but please come get me (crying emoji), Please. Please pick up. Please. PLEASE!!”

        WTF

        • Potatos_are_not_friends@lemmy.world
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          The affidavit says Meyden walked out of the room, prompting a girl to text her mother at 1:43 a.m. Sunday: “Mom please pick me up and say I had a family emergency. I don’t feel safe. I might not respond but please come get me (crying emoji), Please. Please pick up. Please. PLEASE!!”

          Every parents nightmare is to get a message like this.

          Everyone is making jokes in the comments.

          But Fuck. This. Guy.

        • AThing4String@sh.itjust.works
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          5 months ago

          The fact that he was repeatedly moving them away from each other while checking that they were still asleep, plus finally returned drunk??

          “They were staying up too late and I wanted to go to bed” my ASS

          • Ebby@lemmy.ssba.com
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            5 months ago

            Could easily be a “Oh shit! What have I done? Need to check vitals.” situation.

            I think what he did was wrong too. But over here we have that pesky innocent until proven guilty thing and I’m not wasting mental load on a hypothetical “What if?” dredged up by an internet stranger.

            Just pointing out rape was not mentioned whatsoever in either article nor a charge in court, as that would certainly be reported. You made that up.

        • Potatos_are_not_friends@lemmy.world
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          The affidavit says Meyden walked out of the room, prompting a girl to text her mother at 1:43 a.m. Sunday: “Mom please pick me up and say I had a family emergency. I don’t feel safe. I might not respond but please come get me (crying emoji), Please. Please pick up. Please. PLEASE!!”

          Literally speculation?

          You don’t wanna call it until you literally see him inside this 12yo or something?

    • Crackhappy@lemmy.world
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      5 months ago

      I admit to giving my son melatonin as he went to bed. He had a hell of a lot of trouble staying asleep and after reading some research it seemed that he might be lacking that particular drug to help his brain stay asleep. This after his doctor came very close to killing him with overprescribing Abilify, to the point that the other psychiatrists called in to consult on his case were shocked at the dosage levels. He spent a week in the ICU on the edge of death. I should have not been satisfied with that doctor getting his license revoked, and instead pursued criminal charges, but alas, he’s dead now. Not my son, the doctor. My son is flourishing.

      • disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world
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        5 months ago

        Psychos act on those dangerous or impulsive thoughts. Having the thought is human. Talking about it is healthy.

    • exanime@lemmy.world
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      5 months ago

      Speak for yourself… I have never had the thought of drugging my kid so they sleep early

      For starters, the entire point of a sleepover as a kid is to stay up late, chat, eat garbage food and watch tv/video games or whatever. I have never heard of anyone wanting a sleep over so they can go to bed early in someone else’s home.

      I don’t even get what the deal is with people and strict bed times; let alone during a sleepover. If you don’t want your kid to go to bed late, tell them they cannot have a sleepover.

    • Varyk@sh.itjust.works
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      There’s no evidence of attempted rape right?

      The 2 years was specifically for drugging kids so they would go to sleep because there was no evidence of anything like sexual assault.

      • realbadat@programming.dev
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        5 months ago

        An article was linked in other comment threads, there was a clear start and an uncomfortable girl who texted her mom with absolute fear of being raped.

        Something a lot more than moving them around may have happened if she didn’t send that text. So yes, no clear attempt at sexually assaulting the girls, but the amount of effort he went to… Doesn’t give me the feeling that this was only about a good night’s rest.

        That said, I’d prefer the girls safe over him getting more time in prison any day of the week.

        • Varyk@sh.itjust.works
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          100% the guy is an irresponsible creep with terrible judgment and should never be allowed around a kid again.

          But as far as any evidence and testimony provides, that’s as far as it goes and we do not need inaccurate, alarmist commentary to emphasize how wrong what he actually did was.

          If someone punches somebody else, and then a third party screams about how that bastard murderer killed a guy, then it turns out he didn’t kill anyone, it ultimately discredits the actual story.

          • realbadat@programming.dev
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            5 months ago

            I agree. I wouldnt go so far as saying it was off the table as a possibility, but I wouldn’t call it attempted rape.

            I don’t know what the minimums and maximums are for his actual crime, but I do hope the testimony of what happened was factored into the decision.

          • jacksilver@lemmy.world
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            5 months ago

            If I slipped benzos to someone at a bar, what do you think the charges would be?

            The fact of the matter is, in a situation like this you can’t get closer to attempted rape without a literal attempt.

            • Varyk@sh.itjust.works
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              5 months ago

              Assault. What do you think the charges would be?

              “The fact[you’re using this word incorrectly] is, you can’t get closer to attempted rape without a literal attempt”.

              You obviously could get much, much closer to attempted rape.

              Separation of victims. Hiding their clothes. No phones, locked doors, invitations, solicitations, there are uncountable horrific ways to get closer to a rape attempt.

              Downplaying his actual crime is the main problem with you crying wolf. This was a horrible, irresponsible and creepy thing for this guy to do, and because you’re pretending something else happened that there is no evidence or testimony for, you’re trivializing what he actually did in order to fearmonger about what he could have done.

              If someone kicks you in the street and you accuse them of murder, all you’re doing is minimizing their actual crime to get more attention for yourself.

  • phoneymouse@lemmy.world
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    5 months ago

    Why benzos? I feel like he would have not raised suspicion or gotten in the same trouble if he’d just let the girls eat some melatonin gummies or something. Wouldn’t even need to be sketchy about it.

    • RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world
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      5 months ago

      So “drug them”, just not as hard?

      C’mon man, these are kids. They’re not even all his kids. It’s a sleepover. They stay up late or even to the wee hours of the morning and make noise, watch movies, whatever. That’s what you do as a kid on a sleepover. Giving them any substance to try to make them sleep is a ridiculous idea on multiple levels.

        • RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world
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          Could you point out where it says that? I’m not trying to defend this guy in any way shape or form, but I’m not into hysteria and making things up, either. Even the most sensational report only offered the opinion that you don’t touch kids unless you have bad intent. And that’s an opinion, not a statement of the perp’s actual intent. Dude f’d up bad, but it doesn’t mean he’s instantly a molester.

      • sparkle@lemm.ee
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        Melatonin gummies? Those count as “drugs”? I thought they were considered supplements like vitamins and stuff.

        • RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world
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          You can’t give people unexpected things in their food. I think in your hypothetical case intent is the issue. The intent is to give a substance to a person in order to have an effect on that person who is unaware of it, and if that person can claim harm, you’re in deep shit.

          It’s no different than putting a natural laxative or 6 million scoville hot sauce in your lunch trying to trap an office lunch thief. None of them are drugs, and in that (hypothetical) situation one would think the bastard deserves it, but legally you’d lose if they reported harm from it because you knew it was possibly going to be stolen and the intent was to have negative effect on the thief. The only grey area would be if you said you like the food spicy, but two edged sword - the judge could make you eat it to prove it.

          Anyway, off on a tangent, there. Point is if you adulterate food with the intent to have an effect on someone unaware of the change to the food chances are you’re toast if they say it harmed them. In the article the guy did it to kids, kids that weren’t his, and that’s fucked up.

      • exanime@lemmy.world
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        5 months ago

        Fuck those comments man… I have a daughter and she is fond of sleepovers… if I ever get a text from her asking for help, I would show up in that house like the Kool-aid man from hell

  • barsquid@lemmy.world
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    Why is this guy whining about his life being ruined? The courts might not be able to prove he was going to rape any children but that little girl texting for help could tell what he was planning.

    What he did was at a minimum enough to form some seriously fucked up core memories that stay with them for life. Imagine trying to trust anyone outside of your family ever again after getting drugged by your friend’s dad.

    Sobbing about his life being upset, fuck’s sake.

  • magnetosphere@fedia.io
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    5 months ago

    Smoothies don’t take long to make, but in terms of giving him a chance to think twice, it’s an eternity. What an unbelievably reckless decision.

  • kent_eh@lemmy.ca
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    5 months ago

    “My whole life is destroyed,” he told the court. “Everything that was important to me up until that point is gone.”

    Welcome to the consequences of your own actions, dumbass.

    • Ookami38@sh.itjust.works
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      No? No elaboration? Afraid to say the quiet parts? Ok I’ll say them for you.

      This line of thinking is disgusting. You’re saying that because these girls will* partake in drugs and other “uncouth” behavior in the future, them getting it now isn’t a big deal.

      Just in case anyone couldn’t read between the lines. If we’re going to be gross, let’s just cut the pretenses and just say it, eh?

      *Nevermind that you know nothing about these kids now, let alone their futures.

    • synae[he/him]@lemmy.sdf.org
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      Oh no, worse? How bad are we talking?

      Are they gonna form a punk rock band too?

      Maybe they’ll be gasp dancing?

      I sure hope they don’t try to go to college!

    • can@sh.itjust.works
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      Does it matter? There’s* not a single one that you should give to 12 year olds.

    • Lowpast@lemmy.world
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      Ah yes, because it matters if it was diazapram versus alprazolam. The pharmacology is effectively identical… a headline stating “benzos were given to children” is a lot more clear than and obvious than “children given klonopin”

    • zaph@sh.itjust.works
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      If benzodiazepine is in a drug it’d probably be a good idea not to give it to someone unless you’re a doctor writing a prescription then, yeah?