You have probably heard stories about restaurant staff tainting their customers’ food. Last week, a man in Vancouver, Wash., appeared in court for allegedly doing just that.
Stephen S. Sharp, 29, isn’t accused of just spitting into someone’s dish. According to court documents cited by The Columbian newspaper, he allegedly urinated into milkshake mix that was served to between 30 and 40 people while working as the manager of an Arby’s restaurant in October.
Before police found evidence of the urination incident, detectives received tips about online and social media accounts suspected of collecting and trading child pornography. Investigators linked the accounts to Sharp, who allegedly admitted the accounts belonged to him, said The Columbian.
A probable cause affidavit claimed that while detectives executed a search warrant on Sharp’s phone during an investigation of the child porn allegations, they found a 16-second video showing someone urinating into a bag of milkshake mix, per The Columbian report. Video metadata showed that it was recorded at the Arby’s restaurant located at 221 N.E. 104th Ave in Mill Plain Plaza on Oct. 30 of last year.
Another Arby’s manager said the restaurant sold at least one ice cream float and about 30 to 40 milkshakes around that date.
Sharp has allegedly told police that he urinated into the milkshake bag at least twice, though he claimed to be “almost sure” that he threw the bag away. If he didn’t, the mix could have been used by the next shift to serve people, Sharp allegedly admitted.
He said that he urinated in the bag for “sexual gratification,” according to the affidavit cited by The Columbian.
“The alleged actions of the former franchised employee are abhorrent and unacceptable,” said an Arby’s spokesperson in an email to the outlet. “We have taken immediate action with the franchise group who terminated the former employee and is fully cooperating with the authorities in their investigation.”
Dr. Alan Melnick, the public health director for Clark County, Wash., where the incident occurred, said there is no significant health risk to consuming a drink contaminated with urine.
“A healthy person’s urine is about 95% water and sterile, so in the short term it’s safe to drink and does replenish lost water,” said Slate in 2008. The other 5% is made up “a diverse collection of waste products, including nitrogen, potassium, and calcium,” according to the outlet.
“It should not be forgotten that urine can contain harmful substances in those who have taken drug – legal or otherwise – or have been exposed to chemical residues in the environment,” said Winchester Hospital in Massachusetts.
Vancouver police said that anyone who believes they may have purchased a contaminated product from the Mill Plain Plaza Arby’s and has transaction documentation should contact the Detective Robert Givens at robert.givens@cityofvancouver.us.
“The Digital Evidence Cybercrime Unit has not located evidence that Arby’s or its franchisee was aware of the abhorrent actions of Stephen Sharp,” Vancouver police Sgt. Julie Ballou said in an email to The Columbian.
Sharp initially appeared Wednesday for four counts each of possession of depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct and dealing in depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. When Sharp appeared last Friday in Clark County Superior Court to face a new charge of second-degree assault with sexual motivation, Judge David Gregerson raised his bail from $5,000 to $40,000.
According to The Street, a 2014 study found that 6% of restaurant employees said they had “contaminated” a customer’s food – typically by spitting in it or dropping it on the floor. However, the outlet found that such incidents don’t happen that often.
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