Mother jailed for selling daughter to paedophile

An alcoholic Russian mother has been jailed for three years for selling her daughter to a paedophile.

Galina Pankova sold the primary school pupil to a businessman for the equivalent of £24.

The girl, who ran from the car after her mother handed over the cash to the man, was unharmed after the incident in Koverino, near Vladimir.

The local entrepreneur, Sergey Khomenko, who is married and has two sons, has also been jailed for three years.

Pankova confessed at her trial that she agreed to sell her daughter Natasha to Khomenko for 1,000 roubles because she desperately needed money.

"He told me the girl was mature enough for sex," she said.

Natasha has been adopted by Pankova's sister.