An Australian influencer in Queensland was arrested near Brisbane and charged with poisoning her one-year-old daughter, allegedly to solicit donations and increase her online following. The 34-year-old mother purportedly documented her child's supposed battle with a terminal illness on social media, while detectives claim she was secretly drugging the infant and filming her during episodes of severe distress.
The alarm was raised in October when medical professionals admitted the baby to the hospital due to a critical health episode. Following an extensive investigation, the woman has been charged with several offenses, including administering poison, child exploitation, fraud, and torture.
Detective Inspector Paul Dalton condemned the alleged activities, stating that there are "no words for how repulsive offenses of this nature are."
Between August and October, it is alleged that the woman administered multiple prescription and over-the-counter medications to the baby without consent, cleverly concealing her actions, including using leftover medication prescribed to another individual living in the household. The investigation began on October 15 when the baby arrived at the hospital exhibiting "severe emotional and physical distress and harm." Subsequent tests for unauthorized drugs returned positive results in January.
The accused has reportedly raised A$60,000 (approximately £30,500 or $37,300) through crowdfunding on GoFundMe, which is currently working to repay those donations, according to Det Insp Dalton. Authorities have also looked into other potential suspects related to the alleged abuse but found no evidence to support further charges.
The woman is set to appear in Brisbane Magistrates Court this coming Friday.
