Pokémon TCG Craze Leads to Father’s Arrest After Leaving 6-Year-Old Daughter to Hold Place in Line Overnight

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• A Charleston, South Carolina father was arrested after leaving his 6-year-old daughter to queue overnight for the release of a new Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) set.
• The case highlights the increasingly extreme, unethical, and irresponsible lengths to which some collectors and scalpers will go to secure high-demand merchandise.
• The popularity of Pokémon TCG has repeatedly drawn scrutiny over aggressive resale tactics and extreme consumer behavior.

Pokémon remains a global media powerhouse, but the Pokémon Trading Card Game operates as a distinct phenomenon, which has crossed into reckless or unethical territory as fans and speculators compete for limited-release sets and booster packs.

Such is the case of a man in the United States who was arrested for using his young 6-year-old daughter to save a spot in the overnight line waiting to purchase the new trading card game set.

A Father Wanted to Buy the New Pokémon TCG Set, Left His 6-Year-Old Daughter Alone in the Line, and Was Arrested

According to reports from CNN and the Charleston Police Department, John-Michael Dooley arrived at a local Target location alongside his 6-year-old daughter to join the early-morning queue to buy the new Pokémon TCG set.

Rather than waiting out the hours together, Dooley provided his daughter with a pillow and a blanket, left her unattended in line, and returned home to rest. Witnesses initially assumed the absence was brief, but after an hour passed without the father’s return, concerned bystanders alerted local authorities.

Officers arrived on the scene, placed the minor into protective custody, and awaited the father’s return. John-Michael Dooley was taken into custody upon arriving to reclaim his position in line.

The child was placed in the care of social services, while the father was released on bond pending a court appearance scheduled for December.

A Troubling Trend in the Pokémon TCG Scene

The Pokémon TCG has generated plenty of buzz for its worldwide success and competitive scene, but it has also made headlines due to the excesses of some fans and scalpers who will stop at nothing to get their hands on a set, special card, or to turn a hefty profit.

Last September, reports surfaced that some people were willing to offer up their pets as bargaining chips and even considered selling them to fund their trading card purchases. The community responded by calling for an end to these practices and urging people to consider animal welfare.

That same month, scalpers shamelessly exploited the death of Avery The Poke Kid, speculating on the price of the Jirachi SIR card he had pulled in his final video before succumbing to illness.

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