BRUSSELS, November 24 (RIA Novosti) - A Belgian couple illegally sold their newborn baby to Dutch adoptive parents who bid for the child on the Internet, Belgian media said on Monday.

The baby was born earlier this year to a 22-year-old woman and 24-year-old man in Ghent in Belgium's Flemish region, and adopted by the Dutch couple four months ago, La Boussole 74 news website reported.

The sum paid for the child has not been disclosed. As the adoption, which was agreed during the pregnancy, went ahead without official authorization, the Belgian couple face prison terms of up to five years.

The Dutch TV channel Netwerk said the parents resorted to advertising the baby on the internet due to financial difficulties.