Gasps as ex-Christian charity worker avoids jail over abuse book

The author behind an offensive novel depicting role-playing games for toddlers is emotionally distraught after being convicted but has been spared jail for writing child abuse material.

Lauren Ashley Mastrosa, a 34-year-old former marketing manager for a Christian charity, wrote Daddy’s little toy under the pseudonym Tori Woods and published it via an online pre-release in March last year.

The book – which was read by 21 beginning readers – is about an 18-year-old woman named Lucy who, as a toddler, role-plays Arthur, an older man who is her father’s best friend.

Mastrosa appeared for sentence at Blacktown Local Court in Sydney’s west after being found guilty of three substantive child abuse offenses relating to the novel.

Judge Bree Chisholm convicted the 34-year-old and imposed an 18-month community corrections order.

“I cannot justify that a non-conviction would ever be appropriate given the extent to which the defendant wrote about sexual activity with such a young child,” she said.

Although Mastrosa appeared shocked by her arrest and had fully cooperated with police, she had spent months writing highly sexualized content about a young girl covering chapters of the book, Judge Chisholm found.

“General deterrence is of great importance and the sexual exploitation of children, even by such an unsuspecting defendant, cannot be minimized.”

Mastrosa gasped, closed her eyes and covered her mouth as the verdict was handed down and she was placed on the child protection register for eight years.

She wore black and sat in the public gallery during the hearing, accompanied by her husband Adam.

Previously, high-profile criminal lawyer Margaret Cunneen SC argued that her client had simply made a mistake.

“She intended to write an erotic book, she did not intend to write child abuse material,” Cuneen told the court.

There was no lasting risk to the community as the books, which were about fictional characters, had been destroyed, the lawyer argued.

“She is not a pedophile, she is someone who wrote a book that is against the law.”

Mastrosa wrote the book as an escape after being diagnosed with thyroid cancer and suffering multiple miscarriages, the court heard.

She lost her job as a marketing manager for the Christian charity BaptistCare, was exposed to online death threats and vitriol, and would never write anything like the book again, Cuneen said.

Mastrosa was willing to undergo ongoing psychological treatment after being diagnosed with anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder since her arrest, the lawyer added.

Crown prosecutor Milijana Masanovic urged a conviction.

‘The book speaks for itself. The matter is objectively serious,” she said.

The novel normalized child abuse material and fueled the child exploitation market, Masanovic said.

She acknowledged character references shown to the court describing Mastrosa as a kind, charitable woman.

“Sometimes good people can do bad things,” she said.

In February, Judge Chisholm found that the book contained sexually objectified children.

“The reader is presented with a description that creates the visual image in one’s mind of an adult man engaging in sexual activity with a young child,” she ruled at the time.

Mastrosa was found guilty of producing, possessing and distributing child pornography.

She did not answer questions as she left the court, with her husband and her lawyer Michaela Mate standing between her and reporters.

She can appeal the ruling.

The maximum penalty for producing, possessing or distributing child pornographic material is 10 years in prison.

1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)

National Sexual Abuse and Redressal Support Service 1800 211 028