What is the Tori Woods author controversy? CSAM meaning explained amid 'Daddy's Little Toy' scandal

Australian erotic fiction author Tori Woods was arrested by the authorities on child s*xual abuse material or CSAM charges in New South Wales, Australia, on March 21, 2025, after her latest book Daddy’s Little Toy stirred outrage online.

Disclaimer: The article has references to child abuse and p*dophilia. Readers' discretion is advised.

The novel revolves around the relationship between an 18-year-old girl named Lucy and her father’s best friend, Arthur, who reportedly desired her since she was 3. In the wake of the revelation, readers claimed that Tori Woods’ book outlined p*dophilia and grooming.

Woods, whose real name is Lauren Tesolin-Mastrosa, was taken into custody from her home in Penn Street, Quakers Hill, NSW, around 12:30 pm local time on Friday and later transported to Riverstone Police Station.

Detectives served her with a search warrant and later seized “several hard copies of the novel – to be forensically examined,” the New South Wales police department shared in a statement with the media, including news.com.au.

Prior to her arrest, Tori Woods responded to the online backlash and claimed it was all a “huge misunderstanding” and did not promote or incite “anything EVER to do with CSAM or p*dophilia.”

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More about the ongoing scandal surrounding Tori Woods’ book

Tori Woods has been charged with possessing child abuse material, disseminating child abuse material, and producing child abuse material, following her Friday’s arrest. However, she was granted conditional bail and has been ordered to appear before Blacktown Local Court, NSW, on March 31, 2025.

Daddy’s Little Toy, which has a cover image of children’s building blocks against a pink background, also features the plot summary on its back, from both Lucy and Arthur’s point of views.

While she says, “I can’t help myself when I’m around him… All I think about while I’m being naughty is my dad’s best friend and how I wish he could be my Daddy.”

“I’m the freak of the family. My dad is disappointed in me. My mum dismisses me. And my sister despises me. I’m delusional if I think Arthur would ever want to play with me,” Lucy’s summary read.

Meanwhile, Arthur’s version read, “My j*icy Lucy. She’s finally 18. I’ve wanted her longer than I can legally admit. She doesn’t know yet but she’s going to be my perfect little toy… And I’m going to be her Daddy.”

It continued, “When I see her playing dress-ups, I forget about the fact that she’s my best friend’s barely legal daughter or that her mum hasn’t protected or cherished her like she should. All I know is she’s meant to be my baby girl.”

Readers immediately took issue with the theme of the book and called out Tori Woods. Later, the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation received many complaints about the novel and referred them to the Australian Federal Police and NWS Police, who, in turn, arrested her.

Before her arrest, the 33-year-old took to Instagram and posted an apology/ clarification.

“What is being said is grossly disturbing and breaks my heart as well as makes me sick. DLT is FICTIONAL and meant to represent the DD/LG world. In understand where I went wrong and that is why I had it removed from Amazon,” Tori mentioned.

An update on Tori Woods scandal. (Image via Reddit)

As per news.com.au, the book was also taken down from GoodReads. While Woods has since deleted her social media accounts, her post circulated online. She defended her novel stating nothing s*xual happened between the characters, even though the attraction began at an early age, and nothing happened until the female protagonist was of age.

“I know nothing that I say is going to change or fix what I’ve written. There are however, three innocent people who have been caught in the crossfire and it needs to stop. Georgia, Misha, and Ashleigh, along with their businesses. Pixel and Quill Studio (cover designer), Mish Taylor PA (graphics), and AVA book editing (editor),” Tori Woods wrote.

Lauren Tesolin-Mastrosa added, “Neither of them knew to the full extent what was in this book.” She further shared being “sorry” for deceiving her collaborators into believing she was someone else, as well as for the “content” of her novel.

Woods concluded saying she was removing herself from the “book community.”

Notably, cover designer Georgia Stove also put out a public statement sharing she has “cut ties” with the author, “effective immediately.”

She also mentioned getting death threats for her collaboration and said she was ready to answers any questions people had. However, she wasn’t aware of the book’s content.

Meanwhile, Tori Woods, who was a Christian charity marketing executive at BaptistCare has stood down from her role. A spokesperson for the organization told Daily Mail that an “internal investigation” was ongoing, and they took “matters of ethical conduct seriously.”

Lauren Tesolin-Mastrosa has also been a former journalist for News Corp publication Penrith Press.