A Texas woman accused of trying to sell her newborn baby on Facebook has been arrested.
In September, Juniper Bryson, 21, allegedly posted in an online group entitled ‘Birth Mothers Looking for Adoptive Parent(s)’.
Bryson, who lives in Houston, said she would also be happy to travel in order to have the baby adopted.
She is alleged to have reached out to a family member in an effort to have the child taken off her hands rather than have it placed into foster care, noting that the baby would be drug-positive.
‘She needs someone there during labor and to take the baby boy home. She doesn’t want him going into foster care,’ charging documents said the post read.
But Bryson is then alleged to have asked for payment writing: ‘It’s not even like that, 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,’ charging documents as seen by ABC 13 state.
Bryson is believed to have written to at least seven people over the potential adoption of her newborn. Many of those who responded were either same-sex couples or struggling to get pregnant themselves.
Some were even prepared to drive through the night to pick up the infant with one same-sex couple driving from Louisiana to Houston – about 300 miles.
But about half way through their journey they were asked for money from Bryson.
Charging documents state: ‘Juniper sent him a picture of the food she was trying to order, and he sent her money, a total of $25 via Apple Pay to complete the food delivery. (The prospective parent) stated that 3.5 hours into their trip to Houston, she asked them to send her $150.’
Bryson then blocked prospective parent’s cellphone number before unblocking them to state: ‘If the baby wasn’t worth $200 to them, then screw all.’
The couple ended turning around and headed back to Louisiana.
One local woman, Wendy Williams, who already lives in Houston and was keen to adopt got in touch with Bryson even sending her an Uber when she was in labor in order to take her to hospital for her to give birth.
The baby was born hours later in the early hours of September 24.
Williams remained at Bryson’s side during her eight hour labor, was able to choose the baby’s name and stayed at the hospital for a further three days believing she might soon be going home with her baby.
Documents were signed that gave Williams and her husband the ability to make legal decisions on behalf of the newborn.
‘I felt a real bond between a mom and a baby. I felt a connection as if he were biologically mine’, Williams told KTRK.
The baby tested positive for drugs following his birth while Williams watched as birth mother Bryson went through withdrawal symptoms in the hospital.
‘I just thought this was someone who was in a really bad position. The drugs had overtaken, and she just wanted to get better,’ Williams said.
It was only after Bryson posted about having found a home for her newborn on Facebook that others began commenting with some nasty messages.
‘A lot of people started commenting really really ugly things,’ Williams explained.
‘”How dare you sell this baby?” And then they were tagging me, “How dare you buy this baby?”‘
Williams says they were never asked for payment, nor had it been discussed – but when she asked Bryson, she was told to leave the room.
‘”Hey, what is this? You know a lot of people are sending me these screenshots. What is going on?”‘ Williams asked Bryson.
‘At that very moment, she requested that the nurse remove me from the room, and I did. I got escorted downstairs with gifts that my family had brought to the hospital.’
Feeling aggrieved, Williams contacted CPS which then saw the police get involved.
It led to Bryson being escorted from the hospital in handcuffs on open warrants just days after giving birth.
Bryson continued to act erratically and saw her then revoke custody of the child.
‘I also do think that she felt betrayed as well. She knew I reported her and that CPS was coming. That may have been a trigger for her,’ Williams said.
Currently, the baby is with a friend of Bryson’s but she hopes to regain custody of the infant in due course.
‘It was very heartbreaking, not just because we didn’t get a baby out of this, because I think his safety is definitely above all,’ Williams said.
‘In every case where a child comes into the state’s care, family members or friends are considered first for placement. Ultimately, the decision of where a child is placed is up to the court,’ a spokesperson for the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services said.
