A father in Kingsport, Tenn. is accused of trying to sell his 6-year-old daughter to get money to bond his girlfriend out of jail.
Shawn Wayne Hughes, 32, has been charged with illegal payments in connection with placement of a child, as well as drug possession, WCYB reported.
His girlfriend, 27-year-old Jessica April Carey, was arrested March 21 on a charge of child abuse and neglect, according to the Kingsport Timesnews.
Carey's grandmother, who is the great-grandmother of Hughes' and Carey's two children, contacted police Wednesday, telling them Hughes sought to guilt her into giving him enough money to spring Carey from jail.
Police say while they were at the woman's home, they listened to her conversation with Hughes on speakerphone. Hughes allegedly told her that if she gave him $1,500, he would sign away custody of his 6-year-old daughter.
Police say they instructed her to yes to the offer. When he went to meet her, the cops were waiting to make a bust. They claim Hughes was illegally holding prescription medications.
Hughes isn't the first to try and swap his kids for cash. In 2011, a woman in Washington State was accused of trying to sell her newborn inside a Taco Bell for $500.
That same year, a Delaware mother allegedly attempted to sell her infant child for $15,000 so she could take her two other kids on a trip to Disney World.
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