The Virginian-Pilot
©
VIRGINIA BEACH
An attempt at comedy on the popular networking site MySpace h as landed a Virginia Beach mother in jail.
Sandra Venery, of the 4500 block of Hudgins Drive, was arrested Sunday night and charged with one count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, police said.
According to a search warrant affidavit filed last week in Circuit Court, Venery is believed to have posted a video on MySpace in which her toddler daughter was depicted trying to light a cigarette in her mouth.
The person creating the video also coaxed the toddler to say, "Give me the rent," followed by a curse word, according to the search warrant affidavit.
That is similar to the punch line in an on line comedy routine by Will Ferrell, in which a 2-year-old, portrayed as his landlord, comes to his door and demands her rent money using the same expletive. According to the Web site FunnyorDie.com, the clip "The Landlord," has been viewed more than 50 million times since it was posted in April.
Police said they were told about the MySpace video by the ex-wife of Venery's husband.
Venery, 33, was given no bond, police said Monday morning, and the toddler was with family members.
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Video
I'm really surprised no one has posted a link to the Will Ferrell video this woman was apparently making fun of. If you haven't seen it, here it is:
http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/74
"The Landlord"
Wow.That could have been
Wow.That could have been white paper rolled into nothing. WOW. Virginia Government is SAD.SAD SAD SAD SAD.Nothing better to do than this. Wow. Wow. Thats all I can say. I would rather live in Russia 50 years ago than deal with these Bull headed officers in Virginia..I forgot thought. its a "Commy-Nist" State.
For the record, she is out
For the record, she is out of jail. She was there for only 24 hours. Now she's back home with her kids. They were so lost without their mommy. She would never hurt her kids intentionally. It's all a funny joke gone bad.
STUPID thing to do....but jail with no band??? Come on.
This was a stupid, irresponsible and reckless thing to do. I think the family should be investigated and CPS should monitor them. But jail with no bond? That's ridiculous. I know a woman in Norfolk whose daughter was completely ignoring her baby and doing crack...CPS sent a 22 year old case worker to their home, where the grandmother was raising the child, and the mother and CPS worker would just go shopping together, calling it their "home study", so she got off fine, the grandmother is still raising the child, and the mother gets all kind of federal assistance. I just think there are many other people they could be making an example of. It was a stupid, idiotic lame dumb thing to do. But I'll bet what the little girl is more upset about is spending Christmas without her Mommy.
Bwahah!
The funny thing is some 7 years ago photos of asian kids in asian countries went around the internet... the kids were actually smoking though. If I'm not mistaken some of our large corporations have swarms of homeless children in other countries addicted to huffing their industrial chemicals and they turn a blind eye to it (the kids actually die).
Mother letting toddler smoke
With a mon like this who needs enemies
I'd really like to have seen that video
It's hard to comment based on the content of this story because it really lacks specific information. I tried to find the video, but I should have known I wouldn't. This story has made the news as far away as the UK and every report I read said something a little bit different. No news account has reported whether the cigarette was ever lit when it was in the child's mouth or even how she was trying to light it. So whether this woman was breaking the law or not, I wouldn't know. No matter what, IMO it was an incredibly stupid thing to do and she should be fully investigated by CPS. Who knows what really goes on in that home?
How to prove
The trick is going to be in proving that it was a real cigarette. She could say that it didn't have any nicotiene or whatever. It would be like having a video of some people rolling green leafy material into the shape of a joint. Who can say what it really was?
I don't agree with her actions; it just seems that the prosecution is going to have to prove that it was really a cigarette if they want to prove underage smoking. Of course, letting a toddler hold a lighting device could be neglect. I dunno.
Has anyone seen the video? It could be that a babysitter did the whole thing and put it on myspace.
These are the burdens of proof that the prosecution will face. Whatever the outcome for the mother, I hope the toddler ends up in a safe, nurturing home.
Surely something is missing here
I'm guessing that there is more to this story. Maybe the mother is on probation or parole. Maybe they found something else when they went to investigate. It just seems strong to get no bond on a charge like this.
where is the video???
If this video is so harmless where is it? Was it taken down by "myspace" or did the mother take it down? If the mother removed it then it does make me think it was bad and what the police saw she didn't want the news cast to get and show the rest of the world. Mom was coaxing her to light it? If so maybe arresting her was what needed to be done. After all now the child thinks it is ok to pick up a lighter and cigarette and light it up. That is so scary. If the mother takes her eyes off that child for just a minute the child could light the lighter and catch him/herself on fire. When you become a parent your job is to protect your children not allow them to do things that could get them hurt or killed. I did hear the news cast on channel 10 news and they said they spoke with neighbors but the neighbors did not want to go on camera because of retaliation. What is that saying about her character? I have to ask myself is there more to the story?