Influencer Who Allegedly 'Tortured' 1-Year-Old by Making Her Sick Gave Medication That Caused Seizures: Prosecutors

• An Australian influencer who allegedly "tortured" her 1-year-old daughter by making her sick has been accused of drugging her with medication typically used to treat seizures, a court has heard, according to reports

• The unnamed woman's hearing came after Queensland Police confirmed she'd been arrested on Jan. 16 and was facing multiple charges including administering poison with intent to harm

• The suspect has also been accused of raising roughly $37,500 in donations after filming and posting videos of the child online, per the BBC

An Australian influencer who allegedly "tortured" her 1-year-old daughter by making her sick amid a scam to get donations and social media followers has been accused of drugging her with anticonvulsant medication, a court has heard.

On Tuesday, Jan. 28, the woman, 34, who hasn't been named to protect the child's identity, appeared for her bail hearing in Brisbane Magistrates Court, outlets including the Australian Associated Press (AAP), the Sydney Morning Herald and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported.

The court appearance came after Queensland Police confirmed she was facing charges including multiple counts of administering poison with intent to harm after she allegedly gave the baby "several unauthorized prescription and pharmacy medicines" without medical approval, a Jan. 16 news release stated.

"While the child was being subject to immense distress and pain, it is alleged the woman filmed and posted videos of the child," police said in the release. The alleged abuse occurred between Aug. 6 to Oct. 15, 2024.

The suspect raised roughly $60,000 in Australian dollars, or about $37,500 USD, after pocketing donations and gaining social media followers, the BBC previously reported. GoFundMe is working to refund the donations, according to the outlet.

During Tuesday's hearing, the court heard that the now 18-month-old child had been diagnosed with tuberous sclerosis as an infant and suffered from benign tumors, per the ABC.

According to the Mayo Clinic. tuberous sclerosis — also called tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) — is "an uncommon genetic disorder that causes tumors to develop in many parts of the body. These tumors are not cancer."

The child was prescribed the drug carbamazepine following her diagnosis, per the ABC, but the treatment was stopped after it was suspected the medication was triggering seizures. The woman still had the prescription for the drug, the outlet reported.

"Carbamazepine is used to treat certain types of seizures (eg, partial seizures, tonic-clonic seizures) and bipolar disorder," according to the Mayo Clinic,

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Crown prosecutor Jack Scott said during the hearing that on Oct. 3, 2024, the suspect had allegedly moved a video camera monitoring the toddler "during a brain activity test" in a bid to "avoid detection" of what she was actually doing, per the AAP.

“She was captured on footage with a syringe. She administered via the nasogastric tube (attached to the infant). She used the opportunity while hidden by a blanket,” Scott said, according to the news agency. “About 30 to 40 minutes after this incident (the infant) was rendered completely unconscious.”

The prosecutor said "unconscious periods" weren't symptoms of TSC, according to the AAP. Worried doctors then ended up bringing forward a procedure to remove the tumors.

“This child would not have faced (two rounds of brain) surgeries at this point in time but for this manufacturing of symptoms,” the prosecutor said, per the news agency.

The court heard that carbamazepine had allegedly been found in the girl's system, along with "other non-prescribed drugs which were later found in the woman's home," the ABC reported. The outlet reported Scott said that the woman had been seen on CCTV at a pharmacy reportedly filling out a prescription "for a medication which she knows is no longer used for the child and which she knows causes the child harm."

The woman also made admissions about administering the drug to a former partner, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

Defense attorney Mathew Cuskelly, who is representing the woman, said the child “continues to present symptoms” of seizures, citing an email from health authorities, per the AAP.

“My client is entitled to a fair trial. Police have the onus to establish beyond reasonable doubt,” he said while arguing for bail, insisting that his client hadn't been found guilty of any crime.

Queensland Police previously said that the mother had been arrested on Jan. 16 and 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."

The Department of Justice in Queensland did not immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for additional information. PEOPLE also reached out to Cuskelly's law firm, but didn't immediately hear back.

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

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