Juniper Bryson, Houston, Texas woman struggling with substance abuse arrested trying to sell baby on Facebook after feud with adoptive parents.
A 21 year old Houston woman grappling with substance abuse was arrested for allegedly trying to sell her newborn baby on Facebook.
Juniper Bryson, 21, allegedly posted in a social media group entitled ‘Birth Mothers Looking for Adoptive Parent(s)’.
Bryson, who posted in September, said she would also be happy to travel to a family in order to have the baby taken off her hands.
‘If the baby wasn’t worth $200 to them, then screw all.’
The mother 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,’ according to charging documents cited by ABC 13.
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 stated.
Bryson is thought 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.
‘I just thought this was someone who was in a really bad position’
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, who was adopted herself, 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.
Court records showed the baby tested positive for drugs following his birth as Williams watched as Bryson went through withdrawal symptoms in 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.
How much $$$ for a baby?
While she was still in the hospital, Bryson posted to Facebook saying she found a home for the baby and tagged Williams, she says.
‘A lot of people started commenting really really ugly things,’ Williams recalled. ‘How dare you sell this baby?’ And then they were tagging me, ‘How dare you buy this baby?’
Williams said she was confused because payment had never been discussed. She asked Bryson about it.
”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.’
Williams then contacted Child Protection Services (CPS), leading to police getting involved.
It led to Bryson being escorted from hospital in handcuffs on open warrants just days after giving birth.
Bryson in turn revoked 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.
Would be prospective adoptive parents holding out for hope
Currently, the baby is with a friend of Bryson’s as William hopes to regain custody of the infant.
‘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.
Williams is not giving up hope that she could become the child’s mother again.
‘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.
