VANCOUVER, Wash. — A man under investigation for child pornography had video of himself urinating into the milkshake mix at an Arby's location in east Vancouver, Wash., according to Vancouver police.
The Vancouver Police Department said that its cybercrimes unit was investigating 29-year-old Stephen Sharp for possible possession of and dealing in photos and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of children.
On at least one occasion, the images were downloaded near an Arby's located at 221 Northeast 104th Avenue in the Mill Plain neighborhood of Vancouver.
Detectives got in contact with Sharp on May 10, and Vancouver police said that he confessed in an interview to downloading and distributing child pornography, as well as having a "sexual interest" in children. Sharp said that he was the night manager at Arby's.
Investigators executed a search warrant on Sharp's digital devices. During the investigation, police allegedly found a video of Sharp "urinating in a container confirmed to be milkshake mix from Arby’s."
The manager acknowledged to investigators that he urinated in the milkshake mix bag at least twice, but said he was “almost sure” he threw the bag out. He said he was working alone in the restaurant that night and that he did it for sexual gratification.
He told detectives that if he didn’t throw the bag away, it would have been added to other mix by the next shift and served to customers, police said.
Another manager at the Arby’s told detectives the restaurant sold at least one ice cream float and about 30 to 40 milkshakes that day, court records said.
There's no evidence thus far that anyone else at the Arby's knew what Sharp was doing.
Investigators are asking if anyone bought a milkshake from this Arby's location on Oct. 30 or 31 of 2021, and if there is a receipt of the purchase. Anyone with relevant information is asked to contact Detective Robert Givens at robert.givens@cityofvancouver.us.
Sharp was booked on charges of assault and multiple additional charges related to the child pornography investigation. Cybercrimes detectives are still investigating the content on Sharp’s digital devices.
