JACKSONVILLE, FL. (THECOUNT) — Cori Ward has been identified as the Jacksonville mother arrested Thursday after being caught on Snapchat encouraging her young daughter to lick and replace a tongue depressor while visiting a Florida dental office.
Ward, 30, was taken into custody after a cringe-worthy Snapchat video emerged of her young daughter licking a tongue depressor at “All About Kids & Families Medical Center,” and then returning it to the jar.
Ward was booked into the Duval County jail about 11 a.m. on a felony charge of tampering with a consumer product without regard for possible death or bodily injury, according to jail records.
The video was filmed at some point at the facility in the Fort Caroline neighborhood of Jacksonville.
The video, taken by Ward and posted to Snapchat, made its way to the popular Facebook page “Only in Duval.”
The medical center called for a police investigation after the clip went viral.
In an interview with News4Jax, Ward acknowledged that she recorded the video and posted it on Snapchat. From there, it made its way to the popular Facebook page “Only in Duval.”
“I had just been waiting a long time,” said Ward, adding that she regrets what happened. “I was just being silly with my kids.”
The medical center said the materials that were in the exam room have since been removed and everything sanitized, noting among other things that there was no ongoing risk for patients visiting the clinic:
“This type of behavior is not tolerated at All About Kids and Families Medical Center. Each year, we serve thousands of patients, and providing quality care and ensuring their safety is our top priority.”
The video is the latest in a string of similar incidents at businesses across the country. It started with a teen who was seen licking the top of an ice cream tub before placing it back inside a store freezer.
DEVELOPING::
Geo quick facts: Fort Caroline was an attempted French colonial settlement in Florida, located on the banks of the St. Johns River in present-day Duval County. It was established under the leadership of René Goulaine de Laudonnière on June 22, 1564, as a new territorial claim in French Florida and a safe haven for Huguenots – Wikipedia.
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