A Houston mother is facing charges over allegations that she tried to sell her newborn baby via Facebook. Juniper Bryson, 21, was charged with the “sale or purchase of a child,” a third-degree felony, after social media users prompted an investigation into her activities; she is being held on a bond set at $30,000, as reported by Click2Houston.
According to court documents, the inquiry into Bryson's actions began on September 23, following a concerned report to the Houston Police Department about her attempt to sell her child on Facebook, the woman was active in a Facebook group intended for connecting birth mothers with adoptive parents, and she even reached out to a family connection on September 21 detailing her child would weirdly, test positive for drugs and she was unable to care for him, according to Houston Chronicle.
Bryson, who gave birth on September 24 with an acquaintance supposedly interested in adoption by her side, is said to have sought the "highest bidder" for her baby at the hospital. Authorities stepped in after it was flagged that she might be providing her baby for compensation in exchange, an act of illegality spotted by potential adoptive parents and other Facebook members.
Court documents further reveal that Bryson believed she was engaging in a "different kind of adoption," as she allegedly articulated in a message to a woman named Aunt Jenna, "Yes, that’s why they’re thinking it’s a scam because there is an agreement Half up front and half later, but I’m not asking for anything until they have the baby, it's not even like that it's just enough to move into an apartment so I can work a job ..." This detail attempting to distinguish her actions from outright selling, claiming it was no different than surrogacy arrangements, a claim she maintained despite multiple advisements of its illegality, as detailed by Houston Chronicle.
Bryson's legal history includes prior charges for unauthorized use of a vehicle, assault of a family member, and criminal mischief, which have all been dismissed due to her involvement in an ongoing federal case. Her next court appearance was scheduled for today at 9 a.m., the aftermath of which may hold more firm conclusions on the charges she presently faces.
