Controversy has come about after a news outlet broke the story about a 9-year-old from Idaho who was arrested for having stolen a pack of gum.

The boy stole a pack of gum from a shop in Idaho during the summer, and it was then that the shop owner had pressed charges. The arrest was, however, made sometime last week.

The arrest warrant was made against the boy after he failed to appear in court twice on count of the alleged charges.

The boy failed to appear before the court because his mother was unable to arrange transportation facilities to the courthouse, according to CNN.

Kootenai County Prosecutor Barry McHugh, the judge who issued an arrest warrant against the boy, now regrets having taken such an extreme step for a petty crime such as this and has made a statement saying he will rectify the situation to the best of his capacity. "If we had known that, we could have helped sooner with transportation.

"After reviewing the file today, I have concluded that my office's request to have an arrest warrant issued was a mistake under the circumstances," he told USA Today.

The 9-year-old, who was sent to a Juvenile Detention Centre in Idaho following his arrest, was released after he appeared for a court hearing the next day.

Police Chief Scott Haug, the Idaho community Post Falls Officer, who made the arrest said that this was the first time he's seen an arrest warrant for someone that young, according to Fox News.

Prosecutor McHugh speaking to Fox News said, "at least one other viable option existed, which was to seek a court-ordered child protection, investigation, in order to make a better-informed decision as to the best course for the child."

For now, efforts are being made to enroll the boy and the mother in a diversion program, as the case against the boy still remains pending.