Australian Influencer Charged with Poisoning Baby to Boost Donations
A 34-year-old Australian influencer has been charged with poisoning her one-year-old baby girl to elicit donations and grow her social media following.
The Queensland woman, whose name has not been released for legal reasons, had been documenting her child’s supposed battle with a terminal illness. However, police allege she was secretly drugging the baby and recording her in states of “immense distress and pain.”
Investigation and Allegations
Concerns about the child’s health were first raised in October 2023, when the baby was rushed to a hospital suffering from a serious medical episode.
Queensland Police Detective Inspector Paul Dalton revealed that tests conducted during the hospitalisation showed evidence of unauthorised medications in the baby’s system.
“[There are] no words for how repulsive offences of this nature are,” Det Insp Dalton told reporters during a press briefing.
The woman is accused of giving the child prescription and pharmacy medicines without approval from August to October. Police allege she went to extreme lengths to obtain these medications, including using leftover drugs prescribed to another individual in her home.
Charges Filed Against the Influencer
Following a months-long investigation, the influencer has been charged with:
- Torture
- Administering poison
- Making child exploitation material
- Fraud
Police also uncovered that the woman had raised A$60,000 (£30,500; $37,300) through a GoFundMe campaign, which claimed to support her child’s medical treatment.
GoFundMe has since frozen the funds and is working to return donations to contributors, Det Insp Dalton confirmed.
Hospital Visit Sparked Investigation
The alleged abuse came to light on 15 October when the baby was admitted to the hospital experiencing “severe emotional and physical distress.”
Subsequent tests revealed the presence of unauthorised substances in the child’s system. Police believe the influencer had been drugging the child to fabricate a terminal illness for financial and social media gains.
No Evidence of Other Involvement
Police investigated whether any other individuals in the household were involved in the alleged abuse. However, Det Insp Dalton stated that there was no evidence to implicate anyone else.
The accused woman is scheduled to appear in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Friday.
Community Outrage and Legal Ramifications
The allegations have shocked the Australian public and sparked widespread condemnation on social media. Many are expressing outrage over the alleged exploitation of a child for monetary and social gain.
Legal experts suggest that if found guilty, the woman could face significant jail time, given the severity of the charges, particularly those related to child exploitation and torture.
A Broader Issue of Exploitation on Social Media
This case highlights ongoing concerns about social media exploitation, where individuals fabricate or exaggerate personal struggles to garner sympathy, followers, and financial support.
Platforms like GoFundMe have also faced scrutiny in recent years for not adequately verifying the legitimacy of fundraising campaigns.
GoFundMe has pledged to improve its fraud prevention measures, stating that donors will be refunded in cases of proven dishonesty or exploitation.
External Link: BBC
Internal Link: Kenkou Land
