By Sarah Neely

Weatherford, TX – Earlier this week, 38-year-old Justin Anthony Banta was arrested in Texas on charges of capital murder after allegedly dosing his pregnant girlfriend with “Plan C” (abortion pills), likely procured online.

“Operation Rescue has raised the alarm again and again about the abortion cartel’s ‘Virtual Back-Alley,’” says Troy Newman, President of Operation Rescue. “Cash for pills and no questions asked.” 

Banta is an IT employee with the Department of Justice. In September, his girlfriend told him she was pregnant. According to a press release from Parker County Sheriff’s Office, Banta “proposed to cover the cost of an abortion and suggested they order the ‘Plan C’ online.”

Banta’s then-girlfriend refused the offer, telling him she wanted to keep the baby. 

The following month, on October 17, Banta’s girlfriend went in for a six-week ultrasound. The girlfriend reported her baby had a strong heartbeat and was said to be healthy. She met Banta at a coffee shop sometime after the appointment. 

The very next day, she became extremely tired and experienced heavy bleeding. She sought emergency care but reportedly lost her baby on October 19, just two days after coffee with Banta. Later, she told police she believed Banta dosed her drink with abortion pills. 

Detectives conducted an interview with Banta and collected his phone as evidence. Afterwards, investigators believe Banta accessed his phone remotely and performed a “reset,” deleting evidence related to the possible purchase or internet search of “Plan C.”  

Banta was arrested on Friday, June 6, for capital murder and tampering with physical evidence.

“This is the perilous world the FDA created when it removed nearly all safety guards from the abortion drug, mifepristone,” says Newman. “Anyone can order these pills – an angry boyfriend like Banta, a sexual abuser trying to hide his crimes, even a vengeful, jealous co-worker. As it stands right now, there are no protections in place to prevent these abortion pills being obtained for nefarious purposes. The FDA has literally opened the door for forced abortions.”  

Thanks to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the FDA has recently been tasked with conducting a complete review of mifepristone, focusing on the safety of the drug. No timeline has been announced for that review. 

“This case raises another pressing question,” adds Newman. “This man will be tried for the intentional, seemingly pre-meditated murder of his own child in the womb, facing capital punishment for a capital crime. How is this intentional murder by a father any different than when a mother orders pills, knowing those pills will kill her child, and then ingests them of her own free will? The rise of the Virtual Back-Alley creates a devastating scenario where the mother becomes the abortionist in the privacy of her own home. She can plan the death of her child – the time, the means, and the location – from her phone. How long can we shield one parent for such a crime, while prosecuting the other parent?”

This report may be republished with inclusion of the following acknowledgement: “This article was originally published by Operation Rescue, a leading pro-life, Christian activist organization dedicated to exposing abortion abuses, demanding enforcement, saving innocent lives, and building an abortion-free America. The author, Sarah Neely, is Chief Operating Officer for Operation Rescue.”