A young man in China was found guilty of selling his 18-day old daughter in exchange for enough money to buy himself a new motorcycle and iPhone.

The 19 year-old man identified as ‘A Duan’ by local Chinese media reportedly found a buyer for his newborn through the popular messaging app QQ and negotiated the entire deal without the consent of the child’s biological mother.



Unfortunately this isn’t a story ripped from The Onion, nor is it the first time we’ve seen reports of crazy ones in China going to extreme lengths — like selling a kidney — to get their hands on the latest Apple products.

The sale took place in the city of Tong’an where A Duan negotiated the price up to $3,500 with the buyer who was seeking a child for his sister. Authorities say the newborn’s mother was under the age of consent when the child was conceived. When she found out that A Duan had sold it for an iPhone she was so distraught she left the city and wasn’t found for nearly a year until police tracked her down.

“I myself was adopted, and many in my hometown sell their children, because [they] can’t grow them,” the mother said, according to reports. “I really didn’t know it was illegal.”

Both the mom and dad have received jail sentences, though the judge was lenient on the penalties because he understood their poor economic circumstances had a huge influence on their decision. A Duan will serve three years in prison, while the mother only received a two and half year sentence.

Because neither parent is in a suitable situation to raise a child, the buyer is still raising the baby.