An Australian social media influencer was arrested on Thursday and accused of poisoning and torturing a 1-year-old girl in order to receive thousands of dollars in donations from her followers.
The 34-year-old woman from the Sunshine Coast region was unnamed, but Queensland police say that between Aug. 6 and Oct. 15 of last year, she obtained prescription medicine and administered it without a doctor’s approval to a 1-year-old girl, according to a press release issued on Thursday. Authorities did not specify the relationship between the woman and the child.
Police say the woman filmed and posted videos of the girl as she “was being subject to immense distress and pain,” according to the release. She allegedly used the videos to garner donations from her online followers.
The influencer raised approximately $60,000 Australian dollars — $37,000 USD — through GoFundMe, according to the BBC. The platform is currently working on refunding donors following the woman’s arrest.
Medical staff contacted police on Oct. 15 after the child was taken to the hospital with “severe emotional and physical distress and harm,” according to the outlet.
On Jan. 7, police said the child tested positive for unauthorized medicines.
The influencer 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.
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“There is no excuse for harming a child, especially not a one-year-old infant who is reliant on others for care and survival,” Detective Inspector Paul Dalton said in the release.
The woman appeared in court on Friday with her attorney, Mathew Cuskelly, who asked for her to be put in protective custody, The Guardian reported.
“There is some publicity with regards to this matter and I am concerned with regard to the safety of my client,” Cuskelly told the court.