10-year-old boy got drugs from dad, charges state

SALT LAKE CITY — A 10-year-old boy was admitted to the hospital for narcotics use Tuesday, and he allegedly got the drugs at home from his father.

A blood test of the boy performed at Primary Children's Medical Center found cannabis and amphetamine in his system, the charges filed in the 3rd District Court said. According to court documents, a detective from the Salt Lake City Police Department responded to a call and learned the boy took his father's drug pipe and scraped the marijuana residue out to smoke it. He also discovered a plastic bag on the front room table believed to be methamphetamine and smoked that as well, the charges state.

The boy's mother, who does not have custody of the boy, said her son called her Monday night and said his father left a methamphetamine pipe out on the table and let him smoke it, the charges state.

The father was charged with two counts of endangerment of a child, both third-degree felonies. He was also charged with obstruction of justice, a third-degree felony. The father found a meth pipe on his son earlier in the day but he did not tell law enforcement because he did not want to "snitch" on his son, the charges state. The Deseret News is not naming the father to protect the identity of the child.

E-mail: hschwarz@desnews.com