American woman accused of smuggling baby out from Philippines

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An American woman accused of trying to smuggle a six-day-old baby onto a flight in a carry-on bag faces life imprisonment in the Philippines, local authorities said Thursday.

Jennifer Talbot, 42, wept while being paraded in front of the cameras alongside investigators. Philippine authorities said Talbot, who was handcuffed and wearing an orange T-shirt, does not have a lawyer.

The defendant, who spoke only to confirm that she was from Ohio, is accused of violating anti-trafficking and kidnapping laws, as well as legislation protecting children against abuse and exploitation, the Philippines’ National Bureau of Investigation said in a statement.

U.S. Embassy officials were notified of Talbot’s arrest and told Philippine authorities that she has no criminal record in the U.S., NBI officials said, according to the Associated Press.

Talbot faces life imprisonment in a Philippine jail and a fine of some $38,500 to $96,200, Manuel Dimaano, airport division chief for the bureau said in a press conference Thursday.

The U.S. citizen was arrested early Wednesday as she attempted to board a Delta Air Lines flight from Manila while concealing a six-day old baby boy in a carry-on bag, the bureau said in the statement.

Talbot, who says she has five children, managed to get through immigration concealing the infant but was stopped before boarding the aircraft, the bureau said in the statement. She was unable to present valid travel documents for the baby boy, it added.

The bureau said Talbot had presented an affidavit, allegedly from the baby’s mother, giving consent for the baby to travel to the U.S., but it had not been signed by the mother. Talbot said she was from Ohio but in court documents the bureau of investigation listed an address in Utah. (AP)