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Mom imprisoned for giving abortion pills to teen

DANVILLE, Pa. (AP) — A Pennsylvania woman has been sentenced to prison for helping to end her teen daughter’s pregnancy by giving her pills purchased online.

The (Bloomsburg) Press Enterprise (http://bit.ly/Wro2WJ ) reports that 39-year-old Jennifer Ann Whalen of Washingtonville was sentenced Friday to nine to 18 months behind bars after pleading guilty to performing an illegal abortion.

Whalen bought the pills from a European drug firm after the girl had gotten pregnant, but did not want to have the child. Whalen told authorities they couldn’t find a local clinic to perform an abortion, and the girl had no insurance to pay for a hospital stay.

The girl took the pills and wound up hospitalized with extreme abdominal pain.

Whalen’s attorney, Michael Banks, says his client understands “her decision was poor.”

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Information from: Press Enterprise, http://www.pressenterpriseonline.com

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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