A court in Sydney has become the unlikely arena for a debate on the legal boundaries of erotic fiction, as a Christian charity executive fights charges of producing child abuse material through her novel.
Novel's Content Under Police Scrutiny
Lauren Ashley Mastrosa, 34, is contesting allegations that she possessed, disseminated, or produced child abuse material related to her book, Daddy's Little Toy, which she published under the pen name Tori Woods. The case, heard at Blacktown Local Court, hinges on the interpretation of the book's content.
The police case was outlined by Senior Constable Liam Matson, who was tasked with reading the entire novel. He testified that the book contained sections depicting offensive content with someone implied to be a child. He pointed to an early section written from the perspective of a male character named Arthur, who expressed a desire for a woman as sweet as the main character, Lucy, was when she was three years old. "It sounds like he wants a three-year-old to me," Sen Const Matson told the court. "There is sexual stuff in the book that starts when she is three."
Defence Argues for Adult Role-Play Fantasy
Mastrosa's barrister, Margaret Cunneen SC, vigorously challenged the police interpretation. She argued that the character Lucy was explicitly aged 18 throughout the narrative, worked in a toy store, and engaged in consensual adult role-play, which is legal.
Cunneen put it to the officer that even if Lucy spoke like a child during sexual encounters, this was merely fantasy role-play between consenting adults. She directly asked Sen Const Matson, "Do you know anything about the area of sexual fantasy which is called daddy dom little girl?" to which he replied, "I have done some light reading."
The defence barrister also revealed that police had found no other evidence of child abuse material on any devices seized from Mastrosa's Quakers Hill home. Furthermore, she noted that Mastrosa had no prior criminal history.
Arrest Based on Unread Report, Limited Distribution
The court heard notable details about the investigation's origins and the book's reach. Magistrate Bree Chisholm was informed that police arrested Mastrosa based on a Crime Stoppers report from an individual who had not read the entire book. The arresting officers themselves had not read the novel at the time of her arrest.
In a recorded police interview played to the court, Mastrosa firmly rejected the claims. "Hell no, that's not it," she told officers. She stated she had completely halted further publication, saying, "This is not something that I want out there if it is incriminating unintentionally."
Distribution was extremely limited, with only 21 people receiving digital advance copies in March before the complaint was made to NSW Police. No physical copies had been posted. Sen Const Matson conceded during cross-examination that any explicit references to sexual intercourse or touching in the novel only occurred in sections where Lucy was 18. He also admitted that police receive no formal training in classifying material under Commonwealth child abuse legislation.
The hearing continues as the court grapples with defining where adult fantasy ends and illegal material begins.
