Casper Man Accused Of Feeding Meth To A 5-Year-Old

A Casper man is facing felony child endangerment and child abuse charges after allegedly feeding methamphetamine to a 5-year-old.

Rowdy Irish Patterson is charged with four counts of child endangerment with methamphetamine and a single count of child abuse. Child endangerment with methamphetamine is a felony punishable by up to five years behind bars, while child abuse carries a 10-year prison sentence.

According to an affidavit of probable cause, Patterson and the child's mother had recently separated but still lived in the same residence.

The affidavit states that the child's mother returned from work at roughly 9:30 p.m. March 28 to find one of the children, a 5-year-old, acting "very strange." The child's pupils were reportedly dilated and he "didn't seem to have control."

That prompted the child's mother to eventually take the child to the Wyoming Medical Center emergency room while three other children remained at the residence with Patterson. Court documents state the child was given a urine test for methamphetamine, which tested positive.

According to the affidavit, the child made references to eating something that looked like "snow" on his dinosaur-shaped chicken nugget. The child reportedly said Patterson bit the head off one nugget and gave the rest to the child. Court documents allege the child said the "snow" was sour and he didn't like it, but he ate all of his nuggets.

As soon as the child's mother learned the 5-year0old tested positive for methamphetamine, she had a family member get the other three children from the household. When he was told the child tested positive for methamphetamine, Patterson allegedly kept saying he was sorry.

Patterson allegedly told a detective that the child became "possessed" the night of the incident and his eyes got really wide and jaw started moving back and forth rapidly. The affidavit states Patterson said he knew that to be a sign of being high on methamphetamine.

In a subsequent interview with police, Patterson allegedly siad he found it suspicious that the 5-year-old referred to the meth as "snow." He went on to say that he suspected the chid's mother did so in order to set him up for a potential custody battle, the affidavit states.

In addition to the child abuse charge, Patterson is charged with four counts of child endangerment with methamphetamine as he allegedly allowed all four children to remain in a home where he possessed methamphetamine.

Patterson has not had an opportunity to enter pleas to the charges and will do so in an upcoming arraignment in Natrona County District Court.