An online classified ad offering a "free" teenager appeared on a Salt Lake City television station's Web site Saturday afternoon.
The ad was posted on the free section of classified listings on www.ksl.com, the Web site for KSL Channel 5.
The ad listed a "hardworking young man" who was being given away because "we're low on money, no room in the house," said Mary Workman, 52, of Amarillo, Texas, a former Salt Lake City resident who saw the ad as she browsed online.
She said she called police in Spanish Fork, where the ad was listed. Spanish Fork Police Department Sgt. Brad Mitchell said police are reviewing information to see if investigators can probe further into the incident.
The short time the ad was on the Web site could make that difficult, he said.
Emily Sadler, news assignment desk editor at KSL, confirmed the ad appeared online. It was posted for about 40 minutes, and was removed about 3:30 p.m.
"We took it down as soon as we found out about it," she said. Sadler could not say whether or how ads are screened.
Workman said the ad showed two pictures of a young man who appeared to be 15 to 17 years old.
She said she called the Spanish Fork number listed on the ad and a woman with an accent answered, apparently an adult affirming that the child was available. A man then got on the phone, also confirming the child was to be given away.
"That just totally blew me away," she said. "You can't give your child away, not without paperwork."
She quickly hung up the phone and called police. A message left on the phone number Workman provided from the ad was not returned.
Mitchell could not comment on whether police were able to find the boy from the ad on Saturday to check on his well-being.
In March 2008, Salt Lake City police investigated an ad offering a baby for sale on classified listing at www.kutv.com. A member of the public called police after seeing the ad selling the child for $6,560, but it was deleted, along with contact information.
