A mother offered up herself and her daughter this week for sex to pay off a debt at a Southgate pawnshop, the owner of the shop said Wednesday.
Al Hassan, a co-owner of DaSilva’s Pawn and Exchange on Eureka, said the mother, believed to be in her mid-30s, came into the shop Monday night and offered him sex with her and her daughter, who he estimated to be 9-11 years old, if he agreed not to sell a laptop she pawned a few weeks ago for $120.
A $25 payment was due to keep the laptop from being sold, Hassan said.
Hassan said he quickly notified police and reported the incident to Children’s Protective Services.
Southgate police confirmed they are looking into the allegations.
“It’s still under investigation,” Lt. Kasper Ohannasian said.
David Akerly, spokesman for the state Department of Human Services, said confidentiality laws prevent the state from commenting on individual cases, and he couldn’t confirm that the state is investigating.
Local TV station WDIV said it interviewed the mother at her home in Monroe, Mich., and she said the offer was meant as a joke.
“I wasn’t serious,” the mother said. “I don’t want to be considered a bad mother just because I needed some money for gas and groceries.”
Hassan said he believes the woman may have a drug habit that drove her to desperation.
“I felt disgusted,” Hassan said of his reaction to her offer. “I was sick.”