SPOKANE -- Spokane County Sheriff’s deputies are digging deeper to find the person that listed a 4-year-old boy for sale on the website Craigslist.
Trying to buy or sell a child is a crime in Spokane County. This is the first time deputies have investigated a case of this nature. The ad was taken down last month, shortly after the investigation began.
According to the search warrants, the post was about a 4-year-old boy for $5,000 in Spokane. The description of what’s for sale is strange -- the boy sounds more like a pet. The ad started with, “Gavin is a great kid but I can no longer afford to take care of him. He loves playing with balls, basketballs, footballs, soccer balls. He doesn't really like to play with cars and refuses to eat vegetables."
The next line suggests abuse. "But he always has a smile on his face. He doesn't fuss very much, but when he does he just screams for hours. I usually just put him in his closet until he stops and that usually works."
The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office has subpoenaed Craigslist, and two Internet providers to try and track the author down.
Detectives wouldn’t comment on the case, except to say this was the first time they've investigated the crime of child selling or child buying.
They were tipped off by someone who read the post in February. It’s signed by Rick Obelophy, but police haven’t found anyone by that name.
The author ends the post with, "So I don't know what else to do other than find a good family with kids or a couple that wants a son. I won't just give in to anyone. I want to meet with you and make sure you will be fit parents."
The search warrant says Craigslist administrators were the ones who removed the posting from the website. Craigslist did not respond to KREM 2 News’ request for an interview.
