Police: Mom Tried to Sell Son For Wedding Dress

DAVENPORT, IA -- A 31-year-old Iowa woman has been charged with attempting to sell her 4-year-old son to pay $200 she owed on a wedding dress, police said.

Marcy Gant, of Davenport, was arrested Tuesday and charged with one count of purchase or sale of an individual, a felony in Iowa that carries a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison. She was placed in the Scott County Jail on $13,000 bond.

Davenport police Capt. David Struckman said during negotiations with a retailer to pay for the dress, "on at least two occasions Miss Gant offered her 4-year-old son as collateral for payment."

The incidents were reported to the Iowa Department of Human Services, which contacted Davenport police, Struckman said. An investigation began on Sept. 19.

Gant has two sons, the 4-year-old and a 10-year-old, Struckman said. They have been removed from Gant's home.

Michelle Maddox, a child protective worker with the DHS in Davenport, said that she was not surprised at hearing of a person trying to sell their child.

"We've seen it all, and so have they, the police," said Maddox, a 22-year veteran of DHS. "We've even seen cases like this one."

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