NORTH TEXAS — The founder of a North Texas adoption agency has been arrested and charged with a disturbing crime.
Authorities say it involves allegedly paying pregnant female inmates in the Tarrant County Jail to put their unborn babies up for adoption.
The head of Adoptions International Inc. posted a $50,000 bond after being booked into a Central Texas jail last week.
Jody Hall is an attorney and founder of an adoption agency promoted as a licensed nonprofit.
Back in May, the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office says it began looking into what it calls unethical adoption practices involving Hall.
Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office
According to a sheriff’s office statement, “During this investigation, information was discovered that Jody Hall was paying money to multiple, pregnant Tarrant County inmates for the purpose of placing their unborn children up for adoption with Hall’s agency.”
Two months later, detectives with the sheriff’s office served arrest warrants on Hall at her home in Kyle, Texas.
A few years ago, the US State Department canceled Adoptions International’s accreditation, which prevents the agency from engaging in adoptions outside the US for failing to maintain standards.
The crime of selling or purchasing a child is a felony in Texas.
It’s unclear at this point whether any inmates in the Tarrant County jail actually received any money or put their babies up for adoption.
CBS News Texas has not been able to reach Hall for a comment.
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