A Chinese woman has been sentenced to over five years in prison for selling her two biological sons to support her addiction to tipping livestream hosts, South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported.
The woman, who was identified by her last name Huang, is a 26-year-old from Guangxi province in southern China. Having only a basic education and no steady support system, she relocated to Fuzhou in Fujian province and earned her living by doing odd jobs. In October 2020, she bore her first son.
With economic difficulties and the father missing, Huang thought it over and decided to sell the baby. Her landlord, Wei, introduced her to a man named Li, whose son was barren and wished to adopt. Sold baby for 45,000 yuan
Huang sold the baby for 45,000 yuan (approximately US$6,300) and used all of it to tip livestreamers.
Planned Second Pregnancy to Resell
Once that money was spent, Huang took a more appalling action. According to the report, she actively sought out men to become pregnant again, with the intention from the beginning of selling the child. In 2022, she gave birth to her second son, whom she named Guyu. She sold him to a broker for 38,000 yuan (approximately US$5,300).
Such a broker subsequently resold the boy for 103,000 yuan (approximately US$14,000). Huang spent all the money on extravagance, including tips to livestreamers and purchasing clothes.
Children Rescued After Investigation
Authorities were alerted to Huang’s actions on April 13, 2022. A police investigation discovered chat records on her phone that chronicled child-selling deals. The two boys were rescued in the same month. They are currently cared for by local civil affairs offices, waiting for adoption.
Court Sentencing and Punishment
On July 8, the Fuzhou Jin’an District People’s Court jailed Huang for five years and two months for child trafficking and fraud, as well as a fine of 30,000 yuan (US$4,000), SCMP said. In the meantime, Li was sentenced to nine months suspended imprisonment for buying a trafficked child, and Wei was jailed for seven months.
