A 26-year-old Chinese woman has been sentenced to five years and two months in prison after selling her two biological sons to fund her extravagant lifestyle and tip livestream hosts.
Huang, originally from Guangxi province in southern China, was found guilty of fraud and trafficking by the Fuzhou Jin’an District People’s Court on 8 Jul 2025. The court also imposed a fine of 30,000 yuan (~SGD$5,700) on her.
The case has sparked widespread public outrage across China, with many calling her sentence too lenient for abandoning two children.
Mother’s Background and First Child Sale
Huang, who received only primary school education, was adopted as a child herself. Due to lack of education and care from her adoptive parents, she left home at an early age.
She later moved to Fuzhou, Fujian province in southeastern China, where she made a living doing odd jobs and part-time work.
In October 2020, Huang gave birth to her first son. Struggling financially and without support from the baby’s father, she decided to sell the child.
Her landlord, surnamed Wei, learned of her plan and introduced her to a relative, surnamed Li, whose son was infertile and had long wished to adopt a child. Li’s family purchased the baby boy for 45,000 yuan (~SGD$8,600).
Huang spent the entire amount tipping livestreaming anchors and buying fancy clothes for herself.
Deliberate Conception and Second Child Sale
When she ran out of money, Huang resorted to extreme measures. She actively sought out men for sex, intent on conceiving another child to sell purely for profit.
In 2022, Huang gave birth to a second son named Guyu. She sold him to a broker for 38,000 yuan (~SGD$7,200), who then resold the baby for 103,000 yuan (~SGD$19,600).
Huang reportedly spent all the money on tips for live-streamers, buying clothes and other extravagant items with the proceeds.
On 13 Apr 2022, Huang was reported to the authorities for suspected fraud. A police investigation uncovered chat records on her mobile phone related to the sale of children.
Both boys were rescued by the police in April 2022 and have been placed under the care of local civil affairs departments, awaiting adoption.
Legal Consequences and Public Reaction
Li was sentenced to nine months in prison, suspended for one year, for purchasing a trafficked child. Wei received a seven-month prison term for his role in facilitating the first sale.
The case, reported by state media CCTV, has sparked widespread online outrage across China.
One online observer said: “Is this even real news from the human world? Only five years for abandoning two children? That is way too lenient.”
Another commented: “No sympathy. She should be sentenced to 30 years to reflect her crimes properly.”
A third person said: “She is a monster and is not fit to be a mother.”
Human trafficking in China has a long and complex history. A market for the sale of people has existed for decades and is often facilitated by families. The illegal adoption, especially of boys, was seen as essential for continuing the family lineage and enhancing family status.
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