A mom from Wisconsin has been accused of neglecting her six children while she prostituted herself to several men inside of a chicken coop.
Sarah M. Bradehoft, 27, was charged with child neglect causing bodily harm, second-degree recklessly endangering safety, and three counts of prostitution in Polk County Circuit Court, according to the Duluth News Tribune.
Investigators were reportedly tipped off by an undercover officer who contacted Bradehoft in response to a prostitution ad she allegedly posted on Backpage.com. After confirming her identity, they learned that the mother had reportedly been neglecting her children in order to perform sex acts for money, which led to the acquisition of a search warrant.
Family members told investigators that Bradehoft moved from Florida to Wisconsin and had been prostituting herself at night while her children slept.
A relative told police that the mother would perform sex acts “when everyone was sleeping and that the next day she would sleep during the day and would all of a sudden have money which came from her activities through the website,” according to a police report cited by Duluth News Tribune.
When interviewed by investigators, Bradehoft reportedly admitted to the prostitution, which she said occurred in a modified chicken coop.
None of Bradehoft’s children are over the age of 10.
According to lab results, one of her children had been exposed to cocaine, amphetamines and methamphetamine. The kids have since been removed from her home.
The police report noted that Bradehoft revealed she began prostituting herself because she “simply needed money.”
Between 2001 and 2010, 5,298 were arrested for prostitution and prostitution-related crimes in Wisconsin, according to data compiled by ProCon.
