Missouri Woman Accused of Buying Baby

(Clinton, Missouri) A 36-year-old local woman, Denise Novotny, faces a child abduction charge in Wisconsin for allegedly buying a baby in December 2004. A criminal complaint was filed in Washington County, Wisconsin, last Thursday.

Just before Christmas 2004, Angel and David Schmidt of Kewaskum sold their daughter to Novotny for $6,000.

Novotny told the Schmidts to disguise the crime by signing a surrogate birth contract with Novotny and her husband, Scott, the complaint alleges.

In the interim, Denise Novotny has not officially adopted the child or filed a birth certificate in Wisconsin, Washington County Assistant District Attorney Peter Cannon said.

The child was born at the Aurora Medical Center in Hartford. The Hartford Police Department this month requested criminal charges against Novotny.

"Our primary interest is the welfare of the child," Cannon said.

He would not comment on the goals of the district attorney's office in the case. At this time, however, the office is not seeking the return of the child to Wisconsin, Cannon said.

The Schmidts stated that they have no interest in their now-4-year-old daughter being returned. It's unknown whether the Schmidts face charges. Novotny will be extradited to Wisconsin.

This whole situation hints at some level of meanness by the Wisconsin prosecutors. The natural parents don't want the little girl and she's been doing just fine for four years with the Novotnys.

I don't know why the Wisconsin DA couldn't simply pencil-whip the administrative irregularities and have it blessed by the court. Even though it appears that a law was broken, no party suffered serious injury so a fine might be appropriate. Felony prosecution of Novotny is overkill and likely will cause serious psychological trauma to the little girl as she grows up.