A father who attempted to pawn his child in Florida as a ‘prank’ will not face charges, police have said.
The father, Brian Slocum, 43, walked into A&F Jewelry and Loan store and asked the clerk on duty if he could pawn his infant child.
The clerk told police he did not respond, but the man said “I just need a babysitter for like two weeks” as he was leaving, as reported by a local news station.
The clerk contacted police as they were concerned about the child’s welfare as they did not know the relationship between the child and the man.
In response, the police released the video of the interaction and enlisted the public’s help in finding him.
The father himself saw the video on social media, and went to Sarasota police to explain the situation.
It was explained that it was a prank, that the man had taken a video and intended to post it to social media.
Detectives determined that the child was indeed his, and safe, but as department policy dictates, contacted Florida’s department of Children and Family Services.
