HOUSTON — A woman accused of trying to sell her baby had her bond doubled from $30,000 to $60,000 Thursday.
Juniper Bryson, 21, is charged with the 3rd-degree felony of sale of a child but her attorney said she's been in the same Harris County courthouse as a human trafficking victim herself.
Court documents allege in September she contacted a relative for help to find adoptive parents and then posted a similar message on the Facebook page Birth Mothers Looking for Adoptive Parent(s).
Court documents also allege on Facebook messenger, Bryson wrote would-be parents "are gonna have to compensate."
Her relative replied, "You want $$ for your baby?!.. That's illegal!"
Two days later, the baby was born. Investigators said Facebook and phone text messages revealed more. Ashlea Sheridan, head of the Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Unit, said, “Once the child was born, the defendant began asking for compensation, for the adoption of that child, which is not legal.”
Sheridan added the defendant also said, “’I need money, I need $150. I need $200.’ It varied.”
Defense attorney Vik Vij said, “Miss Bryson has been the victim of human trafficking, of compelling prostitution and multiple assaults. This is a woman who has been victimized for years.”
Vij argued Bryson is being victimized again and this is a misunderstanding.
Court documents allege Bryson messaged she wanted the money "to move into an apartment ... to Door Dash ... nothing crazy."
Bryson has a 1-year-old currently in CPS custody.
Her newborn baby boy tested positive for drugs at birth.