Woman touts 10-year-old for adoption on the Net

A woman has been arrested for arranging the adoption of her ten-year-old son over the Net.

Helen Chase, 29, sent the boy to live with a stranger contacted briefly over the Net because she was unable to cope with his bad behaviour.

The transaction was uncovered only because the boy's stepbrother told teachers at school: "My stepmother has given away my stepbrother."

The boy, who has not been named, was found safe and well this week in St Petersburg, Florida, thousands of miles away from the family residence in California.

He was living with Gustaf Sjoberg and his wife, who were seeing how the boy did living with them before starting the adoption process.

The Sjobergs who have adopted four children by more usual channels, are not expected to be charged, since there is no law specifically forbidding them from accepting a child across the Internet.

The naughty boy is to return to California, where he will probably go into foster care. And despite everything, he wants to go back to his mom. ®