Sydney Christian Author Convicted Over Child Abuse Material in Novel

Sydney-based author and Christian charity marketing director Lauren Mastrosa, who writes under the pen name Tori Woods, has been found guilty at the Blacktown District Court in New South Wales over child sexual abuse material contained in her novel Daddy’s Little Toy.

The judge ruled that the book’s depictions and implied content sexually objectified children, constituting three offences related to child abuse material. Sentencing has been scheduled for April 28.

The novel was pre-released online in March 2025 to approximately 21 advance readers. It describes a relationship between an approximately 18-year-old woman and a close friend of her father. Defence lawyers argued that the protagonist was legally an adult and that the work was purely fictional role-play, and therefore did not constitute child sexual abuse material.

However, prosecutors and the court determined that the language and narrative strongly implied a minor’s identity and emphasized sexualized portrayals, thereby meeting the legal definition of child abuse material. The court also noted that the book’s cover design, which featured children’s toy building blocks, reinforced associations with childhood imagery.

Mastrosa had previously denied on social media that the novel promoted or encouraged child sexual abuse, claiming public interpretation was a “misunderstanding.” She stated that publication of the book had been halted. The work was subsequently taken down and voluntarily removed from major online platforms.