A Hempstead woman is accused of using her toddler son to smuggle tobacco into the Nassau County Correctional Facility for her husband on Tuesday.

Police say 32-year-old Keeya Williams-Bass put the tobacco inside the mouth of her 2-year-old son during a visit to the jail. They say she put the tobacco, some matches and a strike plate inside a balloon, which she then put inside her son?s mouth. Williams-Bass also had her 4-year-old daughter with her.

Police say the plot was foiled when a corrections officer saw the child chewing on the balloon. He became suspicious and asked Williams-Bass to remove the item from the child's mouth. Officials say a potentially dangerous situation was averted.

?A tragedy could have occurred if this chewing resulted in a match rubbing against the strike plate,? says Nassau Detective Lt. Raymond Cote. ?It could have ignited in this young child's mouth.?

Williams-Bass is accused of endangering the welfare of a child and promoting prisoner contraband. She was issued an appearance ticket and was then released.

Police say they have informed Child Protective Services. Williams-Bass is due back in court June 23.