Homepage / Portland News
E-Mail News Alerts
Get breaking news and daily headlines.
Browse all e-mail newsletters

Arrest Made In Hoax Craigslist Baby Ad

POSTED: 6:14 pm PDT March 26, 2008
UPDATED: 7:35 am PDT March 27, 2008

Police arrested a Dallas man Wednesday afternoon on a charge of placing an advertisement on Craigslist offering an infant for sale, although he never had an infant in his care.

Patrick Lee Ryan, 33, was charged with buying or selling a child, disorderly conduct in the first degree and computer crime stemming from an advertisement that said the author needed more “tweak,” or methamphetamine, and offered a baby for sale.

The advertisement said the child’s mother wasn’t coming back and offered to sell the baby for $1,000. Attached to the ad was a picture of an infant covered in chocolate.

The photo of the infant was obtained by the suspect off the Internet, and he does not have any infant children of his own, police said.

The Craigslist ad listed the name of Birdie Avery as a contact person. A woman from Lebanon who shares the same name said she received so many phone calls because of the ad that her husband had to unplug the phone.

Avery said Ryan was a former employee and that’s why he posted her name and number on the ad. She said she’s glad he’s in jail and plans to testify against him in court.

“I want to know when he goes to court, it’s not right what he did to me,” Avery said. “It’s scary what he did.”

Police have confirmed Avery wasn’t involved in any way with the ad.

Ryan was transported to the Polk County Jail and booked on $35,000 bail.

There is no indication that any infants were in danger in this incident.

Links We Like
Sponsored Content
Are you often tired or rushed in the morning? Give your morning habits a makeover, and start the day feeling positive and energetic instead. More

Do you want the look of a quality paint job without the hassle of having to redo it over and over? Spray on siding could be the answer. More

Find out exactly what Medicare covers with our easy-to-use Medicare coverage tool. More

Explore the internet’s leading source for online universities and get financial help to further your education! More

Sponsored Links

Health Topics & Information

10 expert tips to promote a healthier heart. Learn why the “full-fat” version of food is often better than the “low-fat” version. More