Give a quick scroll through Craigslist, and you're bound to find a lot of random things for sale. Used couches, lamps that don't work … heck, one guy even tried to sell belly button lint once! But authorities in Florida are investigating the poster behind one recent ad, who tried to sell a baby on Craigslist — for $500. That's right: a real, live, human BABY.
According to the Miami Herald, the post went up before Thanksgiving, and state agents launched a probe November 22 after stunned readers saw it.
âBaby is 2 weeks old," the ad read. "It sleeps, donât make noise at night. Formula and clothes will give it to you. Can give you the baby 4 year old sister for free.â
Uh … come again?
Not much is known yet about the poster, though they describe themselves as living in a âquiet influential neighborhood."
Here's another thing that sure made some readers do a double take: The poster claimed to work for the "department of children and families."Â
Say WHAT now?
Presumably, most people in their right mind would know that attempting to sell a baby online isn't just unethical but also illegal. And if that person worked for the state's family services division? Yeah — one would hope that is a known fact too.
As for why the person was looking to sell the baby like a used table on Ikea, the poster didn't offer much explanation, other than "donât wanna be judged for not wanting these kids."
Although authorities aren't ruling out a hoax, they are taking the matter seriously and trying to get to the bottom of the situation.
So far, one woman has been interviewed, though no arrests have been made.
The Miami Herald reported that during the interview, the woman denied any involvement with the ad, and investigators are waiting on computer records, which will either confirm her ties to the case or link the post to another user.
As for what charges the poster may face, that's not entirely clear — the Miami Herald reported that it's uncertain what Florida law might have actually been broken. Still, it wouldn't be the first time a mother has tried to sell her child in the state. In 2011, a South Florida woman was arrested for trying to sell her 8-month-old for $7,000, though it wasn't through an online ad.
