A 21-year-old woman in Texas has been apprehended by law enforcement authorities due to allegations that she attempted to engage in the sale of her newborn baby boy through an online platform known as Facebook, with the intention of obtaining the highest monetary offer.
Juniper Bryson was arrested and taken into custody last week after she allegedly attempted to pawn her baby off on Facebook, seeking a minimum of $150 from prospective buyers before even going into labor.
Bryson has been charged with one count of felony sale or purchase of a child.
Law & Crime, citing a probable cause affidavit, reports that on September 23, the Houston Police Department received a report claiming Bryson was attempting to sell her unborn child on Facebook.
The day prior, she allegedly posted in a Facebook Group named, “Birthing Mothers looking for adoptive parent(s).”
In her post, authorities say she wrote, “I am in Houston, TX but willing to travel if we can arrange that. I do have a lot of pain and am contracting so it needs to be soon.”
Bryson also allegedly reached out to a family member, asking if she knew anyone who was trying to adopt a child, informing them that the baby would test positive for drugs.
The family member also allegedly posted to Facebook, saying a relative was seeking adoptive parents because she didn’t want the child to end up in the foster care system. Per the affidavit, several people responded to the post.
Bryson’s relative also informed police that Bryson also said anyone who wanted to adopt the child “was gonna have to compensate” her.
“What do you mean compensate? Like, pay you $ for the baby? You want $$ for your baby?!” the relative allegedly asked Bryson, adding, “That’s illegal, that’s human trafficking.”
“No it’s not, it’s surrogacy,” Bryson allegedly responded. “Just enough to move into an apartment so I can work a job and get [my daughter] back, or a cheap down payment, or any car to get to different places to DoorDash. Nothing crazy at all.”
The relative said they stopped trying to help Bryson, telling police she was at the hospital with the baby “while she waits for the highest bidder.”
Police searching Bryson’s phone allegedly found she had sent several people, including an interested same-sex couple who were traveling from Louisiana to the hospital, messages about payment.
In one conversation, Bryson allegedly told the couple, “I’m not waiting to get paid until after [giving birth],” saying she would “ask for a minimum of 150 bucks up front.”
That same couple also sent her $25 via Apple Pay “to complete a food delivery,” per the affidavit.
“[The prospective parent] stated that 3.5 hours into their trip to Houston, she asked them to send her $150,” the document notes.
The couple also allegedly mentioned running the adoption through an attorney — which Bryson reportedly refused, before asking for $150 and eventually blocking them saying, “If her baby wasn’t worth $200 to them, then screw y’all.”
Another woman named Wendy Williams also told ABC 13 she was with Bryson at the hospital while in labor. The child did test positive for drugs after birth, according to court documents. Williams and her husband reportedly named the child, while they and Bryson allegedly signed notarized legal documents giving Williams the ability to make decisions for the baby.
Williams claimed she never discussed paying for the child but was inundated with “really ugly” messages when Bryson posted to Facebook that the baby had a home, and tagged Williams. It’s Williams who then contacted CPS after she says she confronted Bryson about the messages she was getting from people asking, “How dare you buy this baby?”
Police then got involved and Bryson was allegedly taken from the hospital in handcuffs, after revoking custody of the child from Williams.
Bryson is currently being held in the Harris County Jail on a $30,000 bond. She is scheduled to appear in court again on November 7.
The baby, meanwhile, is reportedly with one of Bryson’s friends, according to Williams.