Rachel Stieringer Arrested For Pics Of Her Baby With Bong

**Whisper** · August 12th, 2010, 12:20 PM

N. Florida mom jailed after baby pictured with bong
10:42 A.M. — KEYSTONE HEIGHTS — The picture of a baby with a bong that sparked worldwide outrage has led to the mom's arrest.

It didn't take long for picture posted on Facebook to spark worldwide outrage with reports on London's Sky News to news outlets across America.

Now, we've learned who investigators say is behind the photo and what charge the person faces.

Rachel Stieringer, 19, was arrested and charged with one count of possession of drug paraphernalia, a first-degree misdemeanor.
Assistant state attorney Lara Mattina says the more serious charge of child abuse would only apply when the child is exposed to drugs. She says DCF gave the infant a drug test and it came back negative so that charge doesn't apply in this case.
Documents obtained by First Coast News detail the investigation, revealing a DCF investigator visited the home and said the baby had no injuries.

The investigator got a copy of the infamous baby bong photo, but also noted a picture of a cartoon character holding a bong.

Stieringer declined comment, but we were able to talk to the her mom on the phone. Sharalyn Harris says the picture got blown out of proportion, but admits this is a wakeup call for her daughter.
Harris says her daughter is going through drug counseling and parenting classes and says the grandparents are now caring for the baby.
[...]

http://www.news-press.com/article/20...020/1002/RSS01

Rachel Stieringer

**nopatience** · August 12th, 2010, 12:27 PM

the picture got blown out of proportion

I have seen this picture on facebook under this big dramatic headline and honestly, my first impression was "that's it"?? I know, horrible, right? But then I got to thinking about it and while I agree there have been many worse pictures put out there of kids, I'm not sure this "got blown out of proportion". We are talking about an infant sucking on a smoky bong. That means that while drugs are being smoked up, shot up, snorted up, licked up, whatever, this child is right smack in the middle of it and could have possibly died from some sort of overdose. If the grandmother knew her daughter had these kind of issues, why did it take this kind of publicity to make her step up? She sounds just as bad as mom.

And who would ever think this was a good idea to take this picture in the first place? Stupidity is truly an equal opportunity employer!

**Mystica43229** · August 12th, 2010, 12:30 PM

http://www.dreamindemon.com/forums/s...highlight=bong

**koochie** · August 12th, 2010, 12:44 PM

that picture is foggy to me, is there really smoke in there?

**Pene784** · August 12th, 2010, 12:48 PM

Is it worse than say taking a pic of you kid with a cigarette and lighter in hand? I really don't think so. But then again I don't think pot should be illegal and I don't think anyone should smoke anything around children.

**jenthgr8** · August 12th, 2010, 01:56 PM

This chick is fucking stupid. Maybe even retarded. I seem to recall reading about this on the front page awhile back, and having the same thought then. Who really does shit like this? Fucking stupid!

**Valasca** · August 12th, 2010, 02:17 PM

It's not lit, and tehre is no smoke in it.
Doesn't make it right, but i'm glad she did it and was stupid enough to post it. She's in da rehab now.

**Whisper** · August 12th, 2010, 02:41 PM

Originally Posted by jenthgr8

This chick is fucking stupid. Maybe even retarded. I seem to recall reading about this on the front page awhile back, and having the same thought then. Who really does shit like this? Fucking stupid!

Same scenario diff case though

**Mare** · August 12th, 2010, 02:43 PM

Originally Posted by Pene784

Is it worse than say taking a pic of you kid with a cigarette and lighter in hand? I really don't think so. But then again I don't think pot should be illegal and I don't think anyone should smoke anything around children.

Flashback! When I was about five, my mom thought it would be funny to take a puicture of me holding a glass of whiskey (or maybe cognac) in one hand and a burning (smoking) cigarette in the other. LOL. I have that picture framed in my house. She wa sobviously a child abuser.

I also have a vase that is shaped just like this bong. If I had looked at the picture I never would have thought it was a bong, I would have assumed it was a vase. I can't tell if the bong is smokey from the picture. The one I have is shades of blue and I guess it could look smokey in a picture.

**SqueezeBoxx** · August 12th, 2010, 02:45 PM

Geez - What's the big deal? I'm sure the baby didn't inhale!!

**Rawrehz** · August 12th, 2010, 03:02 PM

Reminds me not to give a root beer bottle to a child and TAKE PICTURES!
nevertheless POST THEM ON FAILBOOK! dumbass.

**Whisper** · August 12th, 2010, 03:12 PM

UPDATE: Baby Bong Picture Was A Joke, Cops Not Laughing
UPDATE: It's been one of the most popular stories on WOKV.com, and has even been featured in other countries. But now the picture that started it all has led to the arrest of the mother police said took it.
The Florida Department of Children and Families said the picture shows the baby, from Keystone Heights, holding a bong up to its mouth as if the infant is using it to smoke marijuana.

WOKV has confirmed that Rachel Stieringer, 19, has now been arrested and charged with one count of possession of drug paraphernalia, a first-degree misdemeanor.

According to a police report, Assistant State Attorney Lara Mattina told police Stieringer has not been charged with child abuse, and the drug paraphernalia charge was the only charge the State Attorney's Office could file.
[...]
John Harrell of DCF did confirm the agency had launched an investigation into the 11-month-old baby's parents.
"We are alarmed that any parent would take pictures of their child next to what is obviously drug paraphernalia," he said.

The mother posted this message on her Facebook page: "If u look at the picture u can see that there is no bowl in the TABACCO (sic) pipe. And i took a pic to show one (expletive) person and it was a mistake. I would never ever ever let him get high."

DCF investigators said they have already been to the home twice.

http://www.khq.com/global/story.asp?s=12970374

**Mare** · August 12th, 2010, 03:13 PM

Let's assume this was taken in a bar (restaurant in the back) and let's further assume that is an alcoholic margarita pitcher. The child is obviously underage. Let's further assume, this is my child and my brother and that I snapped this pic on my cell and posted it on fb. Is this child abuse?

**nopatience** · August 12th, 2010, 03:18 PM

Mare, I'm going w/ no. I think the difference here would be the young girl in the pitcher picture isn't actually consuming and/or licking, sucking, or even touching the pitcher. In the bong picture, the baby is obviously using it as a teething device. Perhaps there wasn't a bowl on it, but it has obviously been used in the past meaning there would be residue on it. I see the 2 as completely different.

**Pene784** · August 12th, 2010, 06:32 PM

Mare I think what you are missing is pot is illegal, alcohol is not. If the baby had been posing with a margarita pitcher mom would not be sitting her sorry as in jail.

**SqueezeBoxx** · August 12th, 2010, 07:01 PM

Originally Posted by Pene784

Mare I think what you are missing is pot is illegal, alcohol is not. If the baby had been posing with a margarita pitcher mom would not be sitting her sorry as in jail.

But BONGS are NOT illegal. Maybe he was smoking formula!

**Hellsbells** · February 17th, 2011, 08:33 AM

Mom denies baby had a bong

GREEN COVE SPRINGS, Fla. - A woman who called herself "rachelxreefer" on Facebook claims that the photo of her baby with a bong posted last year on the social network site wasn't really drug paraphernalia after all.

In a motion to dismiss her case, lawyer Steven Whittington wrote, "No bong was ever seized or even seen by law enforcement. . . . No evidence exists that the device was, in fact, a bong."

Whittington represents Rachel Stieringer, a 19-year-old Keystone Heights, Fla., mom accused of a misdemeanor count of possessing drug paraphernalia.

Her case was not dismissed, but her lawyer and prosecutors agreed to refer Stieringer to a diversionary program, according to the latest documents in the case.Whittington said once she completes the program, the court case will be over.
Prosecutors say Stieringer told investigators the baby found the bong and started playing with it.

http://www.azcentral.com/offbeat/art...om-denies.html

Myspace and facebook are private

**Obsolete** · February 17th, 2011, 02:43 PM

Mare I think what you are missing is pot is illegal, alcohol is not. If the baby had been posing with a margarita pitcher mom would not be sitting her sorry as in jail.

Alcohol IS illegal for minors.

**sheevaa** · February 17th, 2011, 02:51 PM

She's in jail for this? hahahahahhaha, that's ridiculous. So what if the mom smokes pot from time to time and decided that pic would be funny? Drug test on the baby came back negative, obviously it's not being harmed. It's a silly picture and Grandma is right. It's blown way out of proportion.

So, instead of going after child molesters, abusers or murderers, we're going after people who post funny pics and silly edited videos. I'll bet the kiddy diddlers are breathing a sigh of relief.