China mum jailed for selling 2 sons for over $14k to tip livestreamers, buy clothes
Huang (left) sold her two sons (right) for funds to tip livestreamers and buy clothes.
PHOTO: CCTV
PUBLISHED ONJuly 14, 2025 9:05 AMBYBhavya RawatA 26-year-old woman in China who reportedly sold her two sons for 83,000 yuan (S$14,830) to tip livestreamers and buy clothes for herself has been sentenced to jail.
The woman, surnamed Huang (transliteration), was being investigated for fraud in April 2022 where police subsequently discovered chat messages on her phone indicating that she had sold her two sons in succession, according to Sina News.
The Guangxi province native had left home at an early age due to a lack of education and care from her adoptive parents. With only a primary school education, she moved to Fujian province and made a living doing odd jobs, reported Yangtze Evening News.
Huang gave birth to her first son in October 2020 but was unable to raise him due to financial hardship. She also did not know who the father of her baby was, reported state news channel CCTV-12.
The young mother decided to sell the baby to escape her predicament. Upon hearing about her plan, Huang's landlord, surnamed Wei, introduced her to a relative surnamed Li, who bought the baby for 45,000 yuan reported the South China Morning Post (SCMP).
Huang spent the money tipping livestreamers. Upon running out of funds, she allegedly sought men out for sex with the intention of conceiving another child to sell, according to SCMP.
Huang gave birth to her second son, Guyu, in 2022. She sold him to a broker for 38,000 yuan, also spending it on tips for livestreamers, clothes and other extravagant items, reported local news site 163.com.
The broker later resold the baby for 103,000 yuan, reported Sina News.
Boys placed for adoption
Local reports state that both boys were rescued by the police in April 2022 and have been placed under the care of local civil affairs departments. They are awaiting adoption.
On July 8, 2025, the Fuzhou Jin'an District People's Court sentenced Huang to five years and two months in prison for fraud and trafficking and fined her 30,000 yuan, reported 163.com.
Her previous landlord, Wei, received a seven-month prison term for buying a trafficked child while Li was sentenced to nine months in prison and a year-long probation for the same charge.
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