A French teenager is facing up to two years in prison and thousands of dollars in fines after a stunt in which he licked a straw and put it back into a vending machine. Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien has been charged with mischief and public nuisance after uploading a video of the prank on March 12. The clip, captioned 'City is not safe,' quickly went viral and was reported, prompting an investigation.
Vending Company Responds
The vending machine company, known for providing freshly squeezed orange juice, saw the video and said it had replaced the hundreds of straws in the machine as a precaution. A court has allowed Maximilien to leave the country for a school trip to the Philippines, but he must remain contactable by an investigating officer. A spokesperson for his school, Essec Business School, said it was aware of the allegations and was investigating.
Legal Proceedings
Maximilien's parents have flown to Singapore ahead of his court case scheduled for May 22. Similar food-related hygiene stunts have gone viral in the past, including an incident where a young girl licked a tub of ice cream and put it back into a store freezer. She was filmed by her unseen boyfriend, who said, 'You vile!' as he watched. Police in Lufkin, Texas, tracked down the girl but did not release her name because she was under 17. Law enforcement officials said she could have faced up to 20 years in prison if convicted of felony food tampering.
Food Tampering in the UK
Food tampering has also been an issue in the UK. In 2023, a factory worker was jailed after maliciously contaminating food destined for Nando's. Garry Jones, 38, worked for Harvey & Brockless Fine Food Company in Evesham, Worcestershire, which supplies restaurants nationwide. He was caught on CCTV putting rubber gloves, plastic bags, and metal ring pulls into salad dressing and Nando's hummus.
This case highlights the serious legal consequences of food tampering pranks, which can lead to significant jail time and fines.
