A federal jury in Texas has convicted a man of trying to sell his girlfriend's five-year-old daughter to child pornographers in exchange for a used car and an apartment.
Forty-year-old Sean Michael Block could face 30 years in prison following Friday's verdict.
The San Antonio Express-News reports that his girlfriend Jennifer Richards testified that Block threatened her into complying with his plan to sell her daughter. The defence contended that Block was engaging in a sting operation aimed at the 25-year-old waitress.
The girlfriend previously pleaded guilty to similar charges in return for a 20-year federal prison sentence. Investigators say the couple were in contact with a purported buyer who turned out to be an FBI informant.