Police: Kentucky man tries to kidnap then buy 3-year-old boy for $1,000

A 74-year-old man in neighboring Kentucky is accused of trying to buy a 3-year-old from the child’s grandmother.

Published reports say Ronnie Lou Helton is accused of trying to take the toddler out of the family’s front yard by reaching around a fence. Police said Helton then offered the grandmother $1,000 for the boy as she took the child away.

Helton was later found and charged with kidnapping and promoting human trafficking. He was arraigned on Thursday and has another hearing scheduled in November, according to Whitley County Court records.

Helton is jailed in the Whitley County Detention Center which is located 60 miles northeast of Lee County, Virginia.