The Aussie dad who allegedly faked his six-year-old son’s cancer diagnosis with his wife to dupe well-wishers out of $60,000 has fronted court again.
Ben Stephen Miller, 44, of West Lakes in Adelaide, appeared in Port Adelaide Magistrates Court on Friday charged with an act likely to cause harm and deceiving others for personal gain.
Magistrate Alison Adair granted Miller bail but under strict conditions as his case moves through the courts.
He is banned from seeing his two children and wife Michelle Bodzsar, 44, who remains in custody, and he is required to report twice a week at a police station.
He was required to surrender his passport, cannot visit an airport, must wear an electronic tracking device at all times and live with his parents at Waterloo Corner in Adelaide’s north.
Miller will face court again on March 18 for a charge determination hearing.
Police allege the pair raised $60,000 between November 18 and December 12 after falsely portraying their six-year-old son had ‘stage one eye cancer’.
The couple allegedly shaved their son’s head and eyebrows, bandaged his head to look like 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 offences. Miller appeared before 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 look like he was receiving radiation treatment and made him travel in a wheelchair
The private school Miller and Bodzsar’s son attended sent a letter to parents after news broke of the alleged cancer scam.
In the letter, the deputy principal insisted the ‘care and wellbeing of our students is always our top priority’.
‘We want to assure you that we are taking this matter very seriously and are working closely with SAPOL and those directly impacted by the situation,’ the Adelaide Advertiser reported.
‘The police are currently seeking any individuals who may have information related to the investigation or who believe they have contributed financially to the family involved.
Police allege the pair, from Adelaide’s western suburbs, raised $60,000 in two weeks for the six-year-old’s ongoing ‘cancer treatments’ before they were arrested. Pictured is the fundraising page which included a photo of their six-year-old son
Contact details for a child helpline were also provided in case parents need support for their children after the incident.
The letter also confirmed ‘the school has not endorsed or participated in any fundraising activities’ in relation to the alleged cancer scam.
Both the boy and his sister, who is aged between six and 12-years-old, have been removed from their parents’ care and are living with a relative.
In a press conference after charges were laid, police said: ‘Our investigation has confirmed the child is not seeking medical treatment.’
‘We believe this farce illness is causing significant and serious psychological harm to the child and their sibling.’
Bodzsar will spend Christmas and New Year behind bars, with her next bail application expected to be heard in early January.
