The Australian father who allegedly faked his six-year-old son’s cancer diagnosis with his wife to dupe well-wishers out of $60,000 has appeared in court again.
Ben Stephen Miller, 44, of West Lakes in Adelaide, appeared in the Port Adelaide Magistrates Court on Friday charged with an act likely to cause harm and deceive others for personal gain.
Magistrate Alison Adair granted Miller bail, but with strict conditions while his case was heard by the court.
He is not allowed to see his two children and 44-year-old wife Michelle Bodzsar, who is still in custody, and must report to a police station twice a week.
He has been forced to surrender his passport, cannot visit an airport, must wear an electronic tracking device at all times and live with his parents in Waterloo Corner in Adelaide’s north.
Miller will appear in court again on March 18 for a hearing on the charges.
Police allege the pair raised $60,000 between November 18 and December 12 after falsely representing their six-year-old son had ‘stage one eye cancer’.
The couple allegedly shaved their son’s head and eyebrows, bandaged his head to give the impression he was receiving radiation treatment and made him travel in a wheelchair.
Ben Miller and Michelle Bodzsar (pictured), both 44, were charged with criminal neglect and deception. Miller appeared in the Port Adelaide Magistrates Court on Friday where he was granted strict bail
The couple allegedly shaved their son’s head and eyebrows, bandaged his head to give the impression he was receiving radiation treatment and made him travel in a wheelchair.
The private school that Miller and Bodzsar’s son attended sent a letter to parents after news broke of the alleged cancer scam.
In the letter, the deputy director emphasizes that ‘the care and well-being of our students is always our top priority’.
“We would like to assure you that we are taking this matter very seriously and are working closely with SAPOL and those directly affected by the situation,” the spokesperson said. Adelaide Advertiser reported.
‘The police are currently looking for people who may have information about the investigation or who believe they have made a financial contribution to the family involved.
Police allege the pair, from Adelaide’s western suburbs, raised $60,000 for the six-year-old’s ongoing “cancer treatments” in two weeks before they were arrested. Pictured is the fundraising page with a photo of their six-year-old son
Contact details for a children’s helpline were also provided in case parents need support for their children following the incident.
The letter also confirmed that “the school has not supported or participated in any fundraising activities” related to the alleged cancer scam.
Both the boy and his sister, who is aged between six and 12, have been removed from their parents’ care and are living with a relative.
At a news conference after charges were filed, police said: “Our investigation has confirmed that the child is not seeking medical treatment.”
“We believe that this farcical disease causes significant and severe psychological damage to the child and his or her sibling.”
Bodzsar will spend Christmas and New Year behind bars, with her next bail application expected to be heard in early January.