UK: Baby Boy ‘offered up for adoption for £15,000’ on classified ads website

“The listing described a baby called Daniel who “loves cars, stacking cups, balls and books and cuddles and being around other children”

“Police are investigating after a baby boy was offered up for adoption for £15,000 on a classified ads website.

Users of useddudley.co.uk, a site for locals in the West Midlands town to buy and sell goods, were horrified when they saw the ad come up.

Under the heading: “£15,000 1 year 8 months old boy for adoption’, the listing described a baby called Daniel who “loves cars, stacking cups, balls and books and cuddles and being around other children”.

It said the child was “under the care of the church” and invited users to send an email to “know more about Daniel, his parents and his adoption procedure”.

The advert was accompanied with a seemingly professional picture of a baby.

Helen Slater, who was among those who contacted the site to report the listing, said: “I was absolutely stunned.

“My first thoughts were for the welfare of the child and that the parents could be unstable and a threat to the baby’s wellbeing.”

Posted by user ‘jamescamalida’, the ad also appeared on other local versions of the website operating in Sandwell, Wolverhampton and Walsall.

Just days earlier another ad on the site had offered a baby for adoption for free.

Authorities are unclear whether the ad, which has since been removed, is an elaborate scam designed to pray on desperate childless couples or if a baby is genuinely at risk.

West Midlands Police are investigating, but said the details do not correspond to any parent of child known to the authorities.

Elizabeth Dutton, of Black Press, which owns the site, said live moderators are used to try and prevent such adverts as well as the latest technology which automatically blocks items using certain words.

She said the advert was placed using an email address “frequently used for scams” which had now been blocked.

Claire Campbell, regional communications officer for the NSPCC, said: “Adverts like this can cause distress to members of the public who stumble across such things online.

“We would advise people to contact their local police and childrens’ services departments if they are worried.””

Baby boy ‘offered up for adoption for £15,000’ on classified ads website [Mirror 8/10/15 by Hannah Crocker]

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