'Fire Challenge' Videos: North Carolina Mother Arrested for Helping Teen Son Participate in Social Media Fad
A North Carolina mother has been arrested after allegedly allowing her teenage son to participate in the "Fire Challenge" and light himself on fire.
According to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, the 16-year-old boy was videotaped while he was experimenting with what's known as the "Fire Challenge," a new social media trend among teens where they light themselves on fire and then post videos on social networking websites like YouTube and Facebook, reports HLN-TV.
Authorities say that the mother, 41-year-old Janie Lachelle, was standing by and watching her son as he poured what appeared to be fingernail polish on his body and then set himself ablaze on July 29.
In the video, the teen is seen in the shower wearing shorts, but he ran out of the bathroom after lighting his chest on fire.
The teen suffered minor burns and someone who knew the mom and teen contacted social services, who notified the police.
As a result, the Charlotte mother has been arrested and charged with contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile.
"The mother of the victim was present and aware of what her son [was] doing and facilitated the recording," police said in a press release, which was issued Monday. "Other subjects that were nearby began to put out the fire. The victim sustained minor burns to his chest and neck area."
The dangerous trend has resulted in dire consequences for teens across the nation, including a 15-year-old boy in Kentucky who had to be transported to the hospital in July after trying the stunt, reports CNN affiliate WKYT.
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department along with authorities around the country have been warning parents and teens about this dangerous stunt.
"What they don't show at the end of the videos is the consequences of doing this, getting second- and third-degree burns," Lexington Fire Department Captain Chris Harrod told WKYT.
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