Indiana woman sells 13-year-old daughter to man and uses payment to throw party
FORT WAYNE, INDIANA: A woman from Indiana allegedly sold her daughter, 13, to a 27-year-old man, forced her to marry him and then used the payment to throw a celebratory party. Se Dar Be is now facing charges of neglect of a dependent and child selling and has been accused of transferring property for terminating the care of a dependent.
As per court records, accused Zee Kdee Ya, the man to whom the mother sold her child, gave the girl jewellery and about $2,000 in cash, which was subsequently used by the parents to buy makeup for the girl as well as food for the party on December 20, 2020. Be said that the girl's father, Sadid Mot, was also aware of the fact that the money was used to fund the party.
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Although Ya said that the girl had told him she had passed the money to her father, the father denied having received it and said that he "didn't know anything about the money given to the victim". Ya, however, was charged for child solicitation and neglect of a dependent. Authorities have issued arrest warrants for both Ya and the girl's mother.
The incident came to the police's notice when a friend of the girl called Fort Wayne police on December 20, 2020, and informed them that their friend was being forcefully married off to an adult that night. Upon arriving at the party, police found that a sign had been put up on the wall, celebrating the marriage. Court records said that the sign said that the adults denied that there was any marriage celebration, but "only an engagement between the girl and Zee Kdee Ya". However, speaking to the girl in private, police learnt that seven days before the celebration, the parents had signed paperwork in Burmese to arrange the marriage.
Ya reportedly gave the girl a bracelet, necklace and about $2,000 in cash. She turned all of these over to her parents. She was at that time considered married and had to move in with Ya. Court records said that when Ya allegedly tried to touch the girl over her clothes, she asked him to leave her alone, and he quoted the Bible, saying, "I own you now. I can make you do what I want." The girl's parents had also allegedly told her that she "needed to have sex with Ya because he was now her husband."
Ya told police that the party was only to celebrate their engagement, but also admitted that had moved in with him after they signed the paperwork. However, he denied that they slept on the same bed. The girl's mother told police her daughter "was only getting engaged and wouldn't get married until she was 18 years old".