Texas mother arrested after allegedly trying to sell newborn baby on Facebook

HOUSTON, Texas – A 21-year-old Texas woman is behind bars, accused of trying to sell her newborn baby on Facebook.

Juniper Bryson, 21, of Houston, is being held in the Harris County Jail on a $30,000 bond.

Court records show that on Sept. 22, she posted in a Facebook group titled “Birth Mothers Looking for Adoptive Parent(s)” that she was in Houston but was willing to travel.

The day before, she reached out to an out-of-state family member and asked if they knew anyone who wanted to adopt. In the conversation, Bryson suggested the child would be drug positive, according to court documents.

The family member posted on Facebook asking if anyone she knew was interested in adopting the baby.

“She needs someone to be there during labor and take the boy home. She doesn’t want him to go into foster care,” charging documents state.

During a subsequent conversation, Bryson told the family member that she wanted payment for the baby.

“It's not even like that, it's just enough to move into an apartment so I can work and get (my daughter) back, or a cheap down payment, or some kind of car to get to different places on DoorDash. Nothing crazy at all, “The message was read according to the records.

Over the next few days, Bryson spoke to at least seven different people about adopting her child, investigators found.

Some of the people said they had fertility problems.

“I'm interested. “I’m 29 years old, I have a well-paying job and a brick house,” one of the prospective parents said, according to court documents. “Me and my fiancé (want to) start our own family, but it's not easy because of infertility. Please do not hesitate to contact us.”

Another same-sex couple contacted Bryson, records show, and drove from Louisiana in the overnight hours of Sept. 22 to be with Bryson and the baby.

“Juniper sent him a picture of the food she wanted to order, and he sent her money, a total of $25, via Apple Pay to complete the food delivery,” charging documents state. “(The prospective parent) stated that 3.5 hours into her trip to Houston, she asked them to send her $150.”

According to the records, Bryson blocked the prospective parent's number and then unblocked him. He said, “If the baby wasn't worth $200 to them, then screw it.”

The couple turned around and headed back to Louisiana.

Wendy Williams lives in Houston. She is one of the many people who responded to the Facebook post.

When she learned on Sept. 23 that Bryson was in labor, she said she sent an Uber car to the hotel where she was staying to take her to the hospital and picked her up there.

The baby was born on September 24th at 2am

Williams, who was adopted herself, said she was with Bryson for eight hours during labor and stayed in the hospital for a total of three days.

“I felt a real bond between a mother and a baby,” Williams recalls. “I felt a connection, as if he belonged to me biologically.”

Court records show the baby tested positive for drugs after birth. Williams said she watched Bryson go through drug withdrawal in the hospital.

“I just thought this was someone who was in a really bad situation,” Williams explained. “The medication had taken over and she just wanted to get better.”

Bryson allowed Williams and her husband to name the baby. Both parties also signed legal documents giving them the ability to make legal decisions for the baby. The documents were notarized.

While she was still in the hospital, Bryson posted on Facebook that she had 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 told me, 'How dare you buy this baby?'”

Williams said she was confused because the payment was never discussed. She asked Bryson about it.

“‘Hey, what’s that? You know a lot of people send me these screenshots. What's going on?'” Williams said she asked Bryson. “Just then she asked the nurse to remove me from the room and I did. I was escorted downstairs with gifts that my family had brought to the hospital.”

Williams said she contacted CPS, which is when police got involved. Bryson was escorted from the hospital in handcuffs days after the birth with outstanding arrest warrants.

Before she left, Williams said Bryson took away her custody of the child.

“I also think she felt betrayed as well,” Williams said. “She knew I had reported her and that CPS was coming. That could have been a trigger for her.”

Williams, who says she is a licensed foster mother, attended a court hearing for the baby when it was released from the hospital in hopes of regaining custody. She said a judge gave the baby to one of Bryson's friends.

ABC13 asked the Texas Department of Family Services about Bryson, but said they cannot comment on specific cases.

“In every case where a child comes into state care, family members or friends are first considered for placement,” a DFPS spokesperson said. “Ultimately, the decision as to where a child is placed rests with the court.”

Williams doesn't give up hope that she could become the child's mother again.

“It was very heartbreaking, not only because we didn't have a child in the process, but because I think his safety definitely comes first,” Williams said.