Dad of the Year Leaves Kids for Cedar Point Thrills

An Ohio man just raised the bar on 'father of the year' after ditching his four kids to ride roller coasters at Cedar Point last weekend. Yes, you read that right!

According to Lt. C. Denny of the Sandusky Police Department, this 36-year-old Kansas resident took his kids, aged 2, 4, 8, and 9, to the amusement park on Friday. In true liberal logic, he thought it was a great idea to leave his 8-year-old in charge of the younger ones while he took the eldest on rides.

A concerned woman spotted one of the kids playing in the dirt near the Magum XL-200 coaster. Expecting to find a responsible adult, she instead found another sibling alone in a wagon near the Corkscrew. She waited a whopping 20 minutes before the thrill-seeking dad returned.

Dad Confesses: 'I Left the Kids Alone… Three Times!'

When confronted by an officer, the man proudly admitted to leaving his kids unattended multiple times. "I asked [the man] how many rides he rode and left the children unattended. [He] stated three but one of the rides he rode twice," the officer wrote in the report. Talk about family values!

The man was charged with endangering children, a misdemeanor, for failing to watch his kids, which could have resulted in "substantial risk." However, because he was their sole guardian, a judge let him walk free on his own recognizance. Oh, the justice system at its finest!

The incident was reported to the Seneca County Department of Job and Family Services. Last year, Ohio mother Kristel Candelario faced life in prison for leaving her 16-month-old daughter alone at home while she went on vacation for about 10 days.

Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at tardrey@gannett.com.