It sounds like a pretty chilling warning: If you pay the ransom for your son's release, you'll go to jail.
But that's exactly how the families of beheaded American journalists Steven Sotloff and James Foley viewed exchanges with U.S. government officials when they tried raising ransom money for their sons' release.
Now, there's not a lot of disagreement about the fact the families had conversations with administration officials.
Find out more with this Newsy video.
