An Arby’s night manager in Washington State charged with possession of child pornography admitted to police that he had urinated in the fast food chain’s milkshake mix “at least twice,” police say.
The investigation began when police caught wind of a computer downloading child pornography near the Arby’s in Vancouver, Washington. Police connected the computer with Stephen Sharp, 29, a manager at the Arby’s. Sharp then confessed to downloading and distributing the pornography, according to Fox 35.
Police in Vancouver, Washington, confirmed the disturbing find in a news release on Sunday. The employee, Stephen Sharp, was confronted by police on Tuesday and confessed to “having a sexual interest in children” during an interview, as well as to downloading and distributing child pornography. He was also determined to be a night manager at an Arby’s location in the city.
“A search warrant was executed on Stephen Sharp’s digital devices located on his person and at his residence,” the news release stated. “A preliminary search by a DECU digital forensics investigator revealed a video of a subject later identified as Stephen Sharp urinating in a container confirmed to be milkshake mix from Arby’s. Stephen Sharp confessed to detectives he urinated on at least two occasions into the milkshake mixture for sexual gratification.”
The investigation is being carried out by the Digital Evidence Cybercrime Unit at the Vancouver Police Department. Sharp was found to have possessed and distributed “dozens” of sexually explicit images and videos of children. In at least one instance, Sharp likely downloaded one of these images or videos while close to his place of employment.
Court records say the device showed the date on which the video was taken, and another Arby’s manager told police that the restaurant had sold at least one ice cream float and 30-40 milkshakes that day, according to The Columbian.
Sharp was booked at the Clark County Jail and charged with four counts of possession of depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct and four counts of dealing depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct and assault. The full contents of his seized digital devices are still being investigated.
The Vancouver Police are now working to identify potential victims of Sharp’s stomach-turning actions. Police are asking anyone who purchased a milkshake from the store recently and has a receipt to come forward.
Any customers who purchased a milkshake at the Arby’s located at 221 NE 104 Ave., in Vancouver, Washington, on either October 30 or 31, 2021, are asked to contact Detective Robert Givens at robert.givens@cityofvancouver.us.
