An Ohio man who videotaped himself forcing his 18-monthold niece to smoke marijuana has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Prosecutors say 19-year-old Melvin Blevins of Pataskala was part of a marijuana-trafficking ring. A video recording showed him giving the toddler marijuana in a pipe while his girlfriend held her.

Blevins was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Columbus. He pleaded guilty in March to various drug and weapons charges, including distribution of marijuana to a person younger than 21.

The girlfriend, 16-year-old Angel Dailey, pleaded guilty to child endangering and was sentenced in May to at least six months in juvenile detention.

Authorities learned of the videotape after a Columbus pawn shop found it in a camcorder.

Source: The Columbus Dispatch, http://www.dispatch.com

Being a grandmother, it's very important to me that when I volunteer to watch my grand kids that I know they are safe and in a nurturing environment. I suppose you don't have to be a grandmother to be concerned about the well-being of all children.

That's why, I'm sure, that it behooves me to speak out when an adult intentionally endangers a child and then also uses that abuse as a form of personal entertainment.

First of all, a drug trafficking junkie should not be around an 18-month-old child while unsupervised by a more responsible adult. That's one case of negligence that needs to be addressed.

The sheer fact that he video taped it could actually be considered a testament, because I'm not sure that this child would have been able to explain to anyone of her ordeal, or would have even been able to convince anyone that this had actually happened to her.

His own evil arrogance actually helped her.

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