It’s the gaming phenomenon that has gripped the world, but it seems Pokémon Go is creating danger on every level for children.
Just days after US senators questioned the safety of the gaming app, an Arizona couple have been arrested and charged with neglect for leaving their two-year-old at home alone – just so they could play Pokémon Go.
According to reports, police found the toddler outside of his home, with no water, and crying to get back inside. They managed to find father Brent Daley’s mobile number and called him, urging him to come back home with wife Brianne.
Upon their return, the Daleys insisted that they had merely stepped out an hour-and-a-half previously to refuel their car.
However, eventually they told police the truth: they had left their child home alone so they could go and play Pokémon Go in their surrounding neighbourhood.
Brent and Brianne Daley, aged 27 and 25 respectively, went on to plead guilty to charges of child endangerment and neglect.
In a statement, local Sheriff Paul Babeu expressed his shock and disappointment over the case.
“We have been warning people about personal safety while playing this interactive smartphone game. But we never would have imagined that parents would abandon a child to play Pokémon Go. This goes beyond comprehension,” he said.
