An Oregon man from the Portland suburb of Lake Oswego has been sentenced to two years in prison after pleading guilty to three felony counts of causing another person to ingest a controlled substance. The 57-year-old man drugged his daughter and her friends with fruit smoothies laced with a sleeping medication during a sleepover last summer.
The man, who expressed remorse during his sentencing, explained that he had planned a fun sleepover for his daughter and three of her friends, all 12 years old at the time. Upset that the girls did not go to bed by 11 p.m. as he had wanted, he decided to spike their smoothies with a sleeping medication to ensure they were well-rested for the next day.
Two of the friends unknowingly consumed the drugged smoothies and eventually passed out, while a third girl declined the drink and alerted a family friend via text message after witnessing the man checking on the girls to ensure they were asleep. The family friend intervened, discovering the drugged girls and promptly informing their parents.
Subsequent tests conducted at a local hospital confirmed that the girls had ingested benzodiazepine, a medication used to treat insomnia and anxiety. The man's daughter also tested positive for the substance.
During the sentencing, one of the girl's mothers addressed the man, expressing disbelief at his actions and emphasizing that no decent parent would resort to drugging children or checking on unconscious young girls with questionable intentions.
The man, who acknowledged the devastation caused by his actions, admitted that his life had been irreparably altered by the incident. The court's decision to impose a two-year prison sentence reflects the severity of the charges and the impact of the man's actions on the young girls and their families.
