The St. Ann police believe they have uncovered a child renting ring.
Two women were arrested on Friday and charged with begging and cruelty to a child.
The women – 34 year old Shakarta White and 41 year old Lavern Thomas – are of Kingston 12 addresses.
They were brought before the St. Ann Parish Court and remanded until October 3.
Senior Superintendent Calvin Small, head of the St. Ann Police, says about 9 o’clock Friday morning, officers spotted the women along Main Street in St. Ann’s Bay.
They had an eight month old boy and a one year old girl in their care.
SSP Small said the women were begging money from passersby.
He said the women were taken to the police station and after investigations, it was discovered that the children did not belong to the women they were travelling with.
After consultation with the Child Development Agency (CDA) and the Office of the Children’s Advocate, both women were charged under the Child Care and Protection Act.
Summonses have also been issued to the mothers of the children.
SSP Small said based on the investigation, it appears the practice of renting children, where “mothers actually give their children to go out and solicit money from the public,” has being going on for some time.
Have mercy! Protect our children dear Lord.
This is nothing new, it’s been going on for years because people tend to give them money when the have a child with them. They make alot of money that way and a another scam is to pretend that they are retarted, you have a girl in Portmore who does this.
That should be retarded.
Yep, got conned by a little girl, no more than 10 in the parking lot in front of KFC in Ochi.
She walks up to me and said: “Miss, Mummy say she a beg you buy her a 8 piece and a $100 phone credit.
Me: Who is your mother, and where is she. Girl: She uppa yard. Me: Where is that: Great Pond. Me: Great Pond, so how you Mother know me down here, she can stay from Great Pond and see mi down here. Anyway, she looked so pitiful, I bought the chicken for her, (mind you now, I don’t know who the mother or the little girl is). So, while driving out, only to see she and the alleged “mother” who supposed to be uppa a Great Pond, walking along the roadside laughing, chatting and eating chicken I laughed also, since it was only food. Never buy no phone card though.