A Norfolk, Virginia, USA mother, Melissa Bennet, has been arrested and charged for allegedly selling her 18-year-old daughter to strange men for s*x so that she could make some extra cash to take care of her household exigencies like paying for the rent, buying a phone and gas.
According to an affidavit sworn to by the 34-year-old woman of Virginia Beach, 'she persuaded and harassed' her teenage daughter to commit s*xual acts with strangers in exchange for money.
The daughter had told investigators that her mother took her to the location where she was to have s*x with men for money.
Detectives say they saw text messages between the mother and daughter, showing Bennett instructing her daughter to meet with several men because they needed money and as soon as her daughter was paid for the s*x acts, the mother demanded she hand over the cash.
Bennett allegedly admitted to the crimes and told investigators that she needed the money to pay rent, gas and cellphone bills.
She also said that she accompanied her daughter to the location where she was to have s*x to protect her from the men.
The daughter told police that her mother began prostituting her just after her 18th birthday and after one month of being pimped out for s*x, the daughter had enough and decided to go to the police.
Bennett has been charged with pandering.
