Chinese Dad Tries to Sell Own Baby to Buy a Car

January 17, 2017

A dad from China is facing child-trafficking charges after he was caught trying to sell his own son to a person he met on the internet.

Security cameras caught the image of the father standing on a street of Linyi city in the eastern part of China on the morning of January 12. The suspect, identified only by his surname Zhang, was reportedly waiting for his buyer as he held his five-month-old baby in the frigid weather, according to local media (via Daily Mail).

Zhang, who is now detained by the local authorities, admitted that he had agreed to sell his child for 80,000 yuan ($11,640) to a buyer he found online.

In the short footage posted on iqilu.com, Zhang appeared to be nervously looking around as he waited for his buyer. The poor baby was also shown not wearing enough clothes to protect him from the extreme cold.

Officers roaming the area chanced upon Zhang and found his movements to be suspicious. To protect the baby from possible harm, they brought him to the local police station where he was interrogated.

Upon questioning, Zhang admitted his plans of selling his son online because he wanted to divorce his wife. The man claimed that his wife demanded a car as a condition before she agreed to the divorce.

To afford a car, he arranged for the sale of his baby on the internet where he found a buyer who was willing to pay between 70,000 yuan ($10,200) to 80,000 yuan ($11,640).

He further explained that he intended to find a better shelter for his baby before getting divorced.

“It is difficult to break up when you have a child,” he was quoted as saying.

Netizens on the Chinese social media platform Weibo were quick to condemn the father’s behavior, with many calling his decision to sell his own kid “cruel”.

“The boy has such a father. Even though the boy’s saved this time, he would probably be sold next time,” one commenter wrote.

“You have only contributed a sperm. Why do you think you are in a position to sell the boy?” said one user.

“He wears a lot of clothes while he didn’t put enough clothes on the baby,” another netizen pointed out.

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