Anna Good
A now-former Arby’s restaurant manager in Vancouver, Washington admitted while in police custody to urinating in his restaurant’s milkshake mix on at least two separate occasions.
Stephen Sharp, 29, was initially brought in by the Digital Evidence Cybercrime Unit for the possible possession and distribution of Child Sexual Exploitation Material (CSEM). He was arrested on May 10, and while in custody he allegedly admitted to the urination and told officers he got “sexual gratification” from it, according to a report by the Columbian.
Additionally, Sharp admitted to possessing illicit materials and having a sexual interest in children. From his admission, authorities were able to execute a search warrant and found CSEM on his cell phone, as well as a 16-second video of him urinating in the milkshake mix during a night shift at the Arby’s restaurant where he worked.
According to the report, one of the other managers at the Vancouver Arby’s told detectives that the restaurant had served somewhere between 30 to 40 milkshakes as well as one ice cream float the day Sharp recorded the video.
When asked, Sharp told officers he was “almost sure” that he had thrown away the contaminated mixture, and that it hadn’t been served to customers.
Court records stated that Sharp said that if the contaminated bag hadn’t been thrown away, it would have been added to the other mix in use by the following shift and served to their customers.
The Arby’s manager allegedly downloaded CSEM to his cell phone on more than one instance while working on the clock at the restaurant, according to the police.
In an email to the Columbian, an Arby’s spokesperson stated, “The alleged actions of the former franchised employee are abhorrent and unacceptable. We have taken immediate action with the franchise group who terminated the former employee and is fully cooperating with the authorities in their investigation.”
Additionally, Vancouver police Sgt. Julie Ballou said, “The Digital Evidence Cybercrime Unit has not located evidence that Arby’s or its franchisee was aware of the abhorrent actions of Stephen Sharp.”
Fortunately for those customers who may have had the potentially-contaminated milkshakes, according to Clark County Public Health Director Dr. Alan Melnick, there is no significant health risk to consuming a drink contaminated with urine.
Judge David Gregerson raised Sharp’s bail Friday from $5,000 to $40,000, and he is scheduled to be arraigned on May 25.