A woman who sold her son to paedophiles on the dark net has been jailed for 12 years and six months by a court in southern Germany.
The Freiburg court also jailed her partner, the boy’s stepfather, for 12 years. The boy was nine when the trial began in June.
The German nationals, 48 and 39 years old, had sexually abused the boy themselves for at least two years.
The dark net is an internet area beyond the reach of mainstream search engines.
On Monday, the court jailed a Spanish man for 10 years for sexually abusing the boy repeatedly.
Five other men have also been prosecuted in connection with the abuse.
The couple were found guilty of rape, aggravated sexual assault of children, forced prostitution and distribution of child pornography.
The boy is now living with foster parents.
The couple must now pay €42,500 (£38,000; $49,200) in damages to the boy and to a three-year-old girl, who was also abused by them.
Prosecutors say the boy was subjected to more than 60 serious sex attacks, many of which were filmed.
On Tuesday the judge told the boy’s mother that she had carried out one of the most brutal sexual attacks.
The trial has also raised concerns that officials might sometimes wrongly presume that a woman is incapable of abusing her own child. (Excerpts from BBC)
