Kindergartner brought dad's pot, scale to school, say police

A six-year-old child showed a teacher some marijuana and a scale that had been in his backpack Tuesday morning.  St. Petersburg Police say the pot belonged to his dad, who was later arrested.

The principal at Campbell Park Elementary School called police, who learned that the child's father, Larry Cornelius Stephens, 25, had put the marijuana in the child's backpack before dropping the child off at school.

Stephens returned a short time later and tried to get the marijuana back, but the drugs had already been turned over, so her left.

According to the arrest affidavit, Stephens told a witness at the school that he had come back to the school to get the marijuana because he uses it to "take care of his business and take care of his family."

Officers were looking for Stephens when he turned himself in.

Stephens admitted to the investigating officers that the marijuana belonged to him, but insisted it was for personal use only.

The marijuana in the backpack weighed 89 grams, making it a felony amount.  That much, along with the scale found in the backpack, and the comments to a witness led detectives to believe the marijuana was not intended for personal use.

Stephens is charged with child abuse, possession of marijuana with the intent to sell.

Stephens has a lengthy criminal record with numerous drug charges and was just released from prison in March, 2012.

The 6 year old child was released to the child's mother.