Australian transgender TikToker Rachel Queen Burton pleaded guilty Tuesday to aggravated child abuse offenses, including producing and possessing child exploitation material, gross indecency and indecent assault.
Burton appeared before the South Australia District Court, where victims of the transgender social media star read impact statements detailing how Burton had stalked two children and their families after abusing the kids before he began identifying as a woman, according to The Adelaide Advertiser.
The TikToker was arrested by the Joint Anti-Child Exploitation Team in Oct. 2022 and initially denied the charges, the outlet noted. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Gender Doctor Says Parents Who Oppose Transitioning Their Kid Have ‘Mental Illness’)
Burton had a popular TikTok account, gaining over 36,000 followers with some videos hitting over 418,000 “likes,” the Advertiser reported. On his account, he described himself as a “proud trans woman” living his “best life with no regrets.”
In Jan. 2022, Burton announced in a TikTok video that he would be undergoing hormone replacement therapy, according to the outlet.
@rachel.queen8008 well a trip down memory lane wow what a trip it has been #trans #fyp #roadtrip #nails #hormones #makeup #love #sexy #melbourne ♬ original sound – Rachel.Queen8008
Following the change in Burton’s plea, both parents and children — whose names were not reported — testified against the trans TikTok star. (RELATED: ‘I Was Scared’: Ex-Therapist Says Hospital Required Her To Misdiagnose Troubled Teens As Trans)
“You are a gross, phony, self-indulgent thing who has cheated my children out of so much, and took it away from them without care,” one victim’s mother said. “In your online rants, you showed no remorse for your bad behavior, all while knowing what you had done … getting an audience for your false life was far more important. You can wear any mask you like, but the truth is out and everybody knows who you really are, finally.”
The other victim’s mother told the court how Burton’s stalking pushed the family into homelessness, the outlet reported.
“No food, scared children, too scared to go anywhere, never knowing if you could find us … when the children did sleep, nightmares haunted them,” she said. “Being homeless was extremely grueling, the worrying was relentless, but you were online having the time of your life … We were all betrayed, tricked and lied to. You are the monster, you make me feel sick to my stomach.”
Both victims also testified, with the younger describing how “angry” she was at Burton’s abuse and telling Burton she was still worried he would find her, The Adelaide Advertiser reported.
“I was happy before you broke the rules, I didn’t know what was going on at the time, I feel angry at you for doing the wrong thing to me,” she stated, according to the outlet. “I felt like a bird trapped in a cage, all I wanted was to be free … I still worry that you will find me.”
The second victim echoed those concerns and said he now has difficulty sleeping due to chronic nightmares.
“I’m always worried you are going to turn up somewhere, and this makes me feel terrified,” the second victim stated, according to the Advertiser.
Burton is currently being held at a men’s correctional facility as he was placed in custody following the hearing until further sentencing in April, the outlet reported.