Michael Meyden is accused of making the smoothies with benzodiazepine, a drug typically prescribed for anxiety, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Michael Meyden is accused of making the smoothies with benzodiazepine, a drug typically prescribed for anxiety, according to a probable cause affidavit.

An Oregon man accused of spiking smoothies with sedatives and giving them to his daughter’s pre-teen friends has been charged with multiple felonies, according to court documents.

Michael Meyden, 57, of Lake Oswego, allegedly drugged three of his daughter’s friends while they slept over on the night of Aug. 25, 2023, according to court documents and a probable cause affidavit filed this week in Clackamas County.

The girls, all 12 years old, were hospitalized and tested positive for benzodiazepine, described in the affidavit as a drug typically prescribed for anxiety, with common prescriptions under the names Valium, Xanax and Klonopin. Benzodiazepines are a depressant that produces sedation, sleepiness and a relaxed mood, the affidavit said.

  • a4ng3l@lemmy.world
    11610·
    9 months ago

    Not that actually doing it isn’t absolutely horrible but wait till you have children, at about 7yo they invite 8 of their friends in your house and it’s pouring outside.

    The idea of sedating them will eventually come in mind. Then obviously you’ll discard it.

    And come the moment of cleaning the mess they inevitably leave you’ll wonder if you should have done it.

    • Chainweasel@lemmy.worldEnglish
      414·
      9 months ago

      Yeah, there’s a big difference between using melatonin as a “sedative” so they don’t stay up all night and wreck the house, and using a powerful sedative to knock them out and abuse them.
      Granted, I am NOT advocating using melatonin on other people’s kids, especially without consent from the parents, but one of those scenarios is considerably more evil than the other.
      This guy gave the kids adult anxiety meds in smoothies, that makes this particular scenario much worse than a misguided attempt to make them go to bed early.

      • JoBo
        45·
        9 months ago

        The motive here appears to be much more sinister. If you haven’t read the article in full…

        After Meyden went back upstairs, the third girl, frightened for her friend who had been sleeping heavily, again pulled close to her, the affidavit said.

        Meyden returned a second time and again tried to separate the girls from each other. He also put his finger underneath the nose of the girl who pretended to be sleeping “as if to see if she was soundly asleep, he then waved his hand in front of her face,” she told police, according to the affidavit.

        Meyden then went outside through a sliding glass door and the girl frantically began calling and texting her parents and friends to pick her up.

      • a4ng3l@lemmy.world
        33·
        9 months ago

        Giving any psychoactive substance to anyone and especially kids without a specific prescription from a licensed practician is absolutely insane.

        Beside recreational drugs when an adult wishes to obviously.

    • tsonfeir@lemm.ee
      116·
      9 months ago

      He could have just used melatonin if regular sleepiness was his goal.

      • a4ng3l@lemmy.world
        261·
        9 months ago

        In my view that’s not much better. Still not acceptable to medicate minors without parental approval and medical supervision. You never know for sure who’s allergic to what. Not your kid stay the fuck away.