HOUSTON – Juniper Bryson was charged with a felony for trying to sell her unborn child to the “highest bidder” after giving birth in Harris County.

According to court documents, the 21-year-old is accused of selling or buying a child after seeking compensation from people to remove her child from the hospital because she did not want the baby to be placed in foster care and feared he would do so. d tested positive for drugs.

Bryson asked a family member on Sept. 21 if he knew anyone willing to adopt and the family member contacted others on Facebook to look for possible parents interested in adopting, records show. In the family member’s Facebook post, she said: “She (Bryson) needs someone during labor and to take the little boy home. She doesn’t want him to be placed with a family welcome.”

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When Bryson mentioned receiving money for the child, the family member told her it was illegal and that she looked “crazy,” according to officials. She later told authorities that she had no idea of ​​Bryson’s true intentions when she initially contacted him.

Based on court records of their conversation, Bryson told the family member she just needed enough “to move into an apartment so I could work…or a cheap down payment on any car to get me go to different places and don’t leave anything behind.” all.”

In a Facebook group for birth mothers looking for adoptive parents, Bryson posted on September 22 that she was ready to travel and was in the process of contracting, so it needed to be done quickly.

Court records say another woman was at the hospital when Bryson gave birth because she hoped to adopt the baby. The woman told authorities she then contacted Bryson about her unborn son because she is licensed to adopt and foster children. After a conversation, the woman arrived at the hospital because Bryson looked like she was going to give birth earlier than her due date. At the hospital, the woman says Bryson gave birth on September 24 and after running tests, the hospital confirmed the presence of drugs in the newborn’s body.

Officials say Bryson posted a photo of the baby on Facebook and tagged the woman, who then began receiving messages asking, “Did you buy her baby?” It was only afterward that the woman realized what was happening and reported the screenshots of the original Facebook post to the nurse and child protective services involved.

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At the time, the woman said Bryson did not ask her for compensation, but knew the 21-year-old had asked other women for money, documents said. The woman reported after seeing Bryson’s phone that she was waiting for “the highest bidder in exchange for her son.”

Cort’s documents state that after investigating Bryson’s phone, she was in communication with several people asking for money if they wanted her baby. In a text message chain, Bryson requested a minimum of $150 up front from a couple traveling to Houston from Louisiana. When they refused to pay, Bryson allegedly said, “If her baby wasn’t worth $200 to them, then fuck you.”

Bryson initially set his bond at $30,000, but it increased to $60,000 on Thursday.