Mom pleads guilty to virginity sale

2011-10-25 08:34

Salt Lake City - A Utah woman accused of trying to sell her 13-year-old daughter's virginity pleaded guilty on Monday to two sexual exploitation charges for having the girl model in her underwear for men.

The 33-year-old woman had also faced two first-degree felony counts of aggravated sex abuse of a child - and up to life in prison - but prosecutors agreed to drop those charges in exchange for her plea.

She now faces up to 30 years in prison at sentencing on December 5.

Authorities said the woman offered her daughter's virginity to a man in April in exchange for $10 000. Initially, the girl agreed to the arrangement and modelled twice in a bra and underwear for the man. Police said the girl then changed her mind.

Her mother also tried to sell sexually explicit pictures of the girl to another man.

The woman's boyfriend found text messages about the sale of the girl's virginity on the woman's cellphone. He turned them over to police.

She was arrested in May. Prosecutors said the men involved have not been charged.

The woman did not make a statement in court on Monday and her defence attorney refused to comment after the hearing.

The Associated Press isn't naming the mother to avoid identifying her daughter.

- AP