Mum influencer charged with torture for faking her one-year-old daughter's brain tumour for GoFundMe money

The mum-of-four, from Queensland, Australia, who cannot be named for legal reasons, first told her fans about her toddler daughter’s illness in June, and launched a GoFundMe page to ask for financial help while she allegedly underwent treatment.

Since then, the page had raised $62,000 (around £48,000). But, questions were raised in October 2024 when hospital workers informed police that the mum’s online updates about the child's surgery didn't match her real treatment. In November, the little girl was taken into care while her mother was questioned by police about the allegations. Now, she has been charged with torture after it was found she poisoned her baby girl to elicit donations and boost online followers.

A police statement read: “While the child was being subject to immense distress and pain, it is alleged the woman filmed and posted videos of the child. It is alleged the content produced exploited the child and was used to entice monetary donations and online followers.”

After extensive investigations over the last few months, Child Protection and Investigation Unit detectives arrested the woman at an Underwood house on Thursday morning (January 16). She was charged with five counts of administering poison with intent to harm, three counts of preparation to commit crimes with dangerous things, and one count each of torture, making child exploitation material and fraud.

Detective Inspector Paul Dalton said offences like the ones alleged were abhorrent. “[There are] no words for how repulsive (alleged) offences of this nature are,” he told local reporters, as reported by DailyMail Australia. He went on: “We are too often faced with the worst offences against children.

“We will do everything in our power to remove that child from harm's way and hold any offender to account. There is no excuse for harming a child, especially not a one-year-old infant who is reliant on others for care and survival.”

Between August and October, detectives say that the woman gave the child several prescription and pharmacy medicines, without approval. She went to great lengths to obtain the unauthorised medications and cover up her behaviour, they allege, including using leftover medicine for a different person in their house.

Police began investigating her on October 15, however, when the baby was brought into hospital experiencing "severe emotional and physical distress and harm". Tests for unauthorised medicines returned a positive result earlier this month, they said.

Police also said the people behind GoFundMe are attempting to repay all those who donated to the woman’s page. The mum’s social media account appears to have been taken down, as does the GoFundMe page.

The woman will appear in Brisbane Magistrates Court tomorrow (Friday January 17).