An author in Australia is facing charges over depictions of pedophilia in her novel after the internet labeled the material as “child abuse,” however, the woman has defended herself claiming that it’s all a “big misunderstanding.”
The book caught the attention of people online earlier this week, namely the corner of TikTok known as “BookTok.” Many condemned the book for the incredibly controversial premise which sees a “barely-legal” 18 year old fall in love with her father’s friend who has desired the protagonist since the age of three.
Lauren Tesolin-Mastrosa wrote the book under the pen-name Tori Woods, and upon its release she received backlash from a mob of readers.
Many authors have received hate from the internet for controversial material but this is another level, even the novel’s title “Daddy’s Little Toy” seems to meld ideas of a sexual nature with infantilization in a way that is unsettling. The cover design doesn’t help with the title being spelled out in children’s toy blocks against a pink background.
Lauren’s arrest
The New South Wales police reportedly began investigating the author after receiving “reports of a fiction novel containing child abuse material.” Detectives arrested Tesolin-Mastrosa at her home in Western Sydney on Friday reports the Independent.
The home was searched and several copies of the book confiscated for forensic examination while the 33-year-old woman was “charged with [possessing] child abuse material, [disseminating] child abuse material and [producing] child abuse material.” She was later granted bail and is expected to appear before Blacktown Local Court on Monday March 31st.
Upon her release from jail the author took to social media to defend herself and her work from the accusations. She claimed that it was a “big misunderstanding,” and that the book “is definitely not promoting or inciting anything ever to do with (child sexual abuse) or paedophilia.”
She also stressed that the story depicted was purely fictional but that she understood why certain aspects of it were being “frowned upon.” The book has since been removed from platforms such as Amazon and Goodreads and Tesolin-Mastrosa has deactivated her social media accounts.
Responses to the book
The response to the book has been negative to say the least. The uncomfortable promotional material was enough to anger most people, TikToker @AuntKaren0 didn’t mince words when talking about it.
In the comments one person wrote “Lucy’s not even written to ACT 18. She’s full on written like a child. The paedophilia is so transparent.” The responses were pretty similar all over the internet.
Many also took issue with the individuals who had a hand in the novel’s existence, such as the designer responsible for cover art claiming she knew what she was doing. However, the designer, who’s name is Georgia Stove, denies any knowledge, “All I had known about the book was the blurb which read “barely legal” and in my mind I truly thought that was okay.”
It’s also been confirmed that Tesolin-Mastrosa lost her job as a result of the backlash. She was reportedly let go from her Marketing Executive role at the Christian organisation BaptistCare on March 20th.
Published: Mar 25, 2025 5:41 PM UTC