WHAT WAS CLAIMED
Police published a computer-generated image of what missing child William Tyrrell might look like 11 years after his disappearance.
OUR VERDICT
False. Police didn't publish the computer-generated image of William Tyrrell.
AAP FACTCHECK - Disinformation about missing children is being spread by numerous social media pages in an apparent bid to drive engagement to external websites.
AAP FactCheck has identified dozens of social media posts that are exploiting the disappearances of children, including Gus Lamont and William Tyrrell, for engagement.
Gus, age four, went missing from a South Australia sheep station on September 27, 2025, and hasn't been seen since.
William, meanwhile, went missing from a NSW property in 2014 at age three and is likewise unaccounted for.
The social media pages frequently post false information about the children and the investigations into their disappearances, or sensationalise old information and present it as new.
It's part of an apparent operation to drive clicks to third-party websites that experts have previously told AAP FactCheck are usually laden with ads, scams and viruses.
One particularly prolific Facebook page, called Anchor Focus, posts dozens of times a day, frequently using the investigation into Gus and William's disappearances.
AAP FactCheck has previously debunked posts on the page falsely claiming that evidence had been uncovered in Gus's case.
More recent posts on the page have targeted William's disappearance, with one claiming that police published a computer-generated image of the boy.
"William Tyrrell's Mother Collapses in Tears as Police Unveil Sh0cking New Image of Her Missing Son, 11 Years On," a post from October 28 reads.
Police have not released a digital image of what William may look like in 2025.
The image was generated by forensic imaging experts in the US and released in 2024 to show what William would look like at age 13, according to a report in the Daily Mail.
There are no public reports about how his mother reacted to the image being released.
It is not the only page frequently posting disinformation about missing children.
Others such as 'StarBuzz Daily', 'Celebrity News', and 'Showbiz Spotlight' also routinely use the disappearance of Gus and William to drive engagement.
Celebrity News and StarBuzz Daily have also claimed in recent posts that a former detective who worked on the disappearance of William Tyrell in 2014 has revealed that police are investigating the possibility of "foul play" in Gus's case.
"CAN NO LONGER BE HIDDEN," the posts quote former detective Gary Jubelin as saying.
Mr Jubelin was interviewed by news.com.au recently about Gus's case, but there is no record of the quotes attributed to him in the posts.
Another widely shared post from Celebrity News draws a connection between Gus's case and another man who also went missing in South Australia in late September.
"The Car He Hid Deep in the Bushes Has REVEALED a Sinister, Ch!lling Plot," the post reads.
"The search for missing four-year-old Gus Lamont is being stepped up by police amid mounting fears of a chilling connection to another man who vanished nearby at the same time."
South Australia Police haven't drawn a connection between the two disappearances.
In a statement on October 10, the police said they were renewing their appeal for information about a missing 40-year-old male.
Gus was last seen at the Oak Park Station homestead at around 5pm on Saturday, September 27, while the man in question was last seen on Friday, September 26 and his vehicle was discovered the following day nearly 500km from Oak Park.
Another post from ShowBiz Spotlight on October 26 claims that Gus's last words before disappearing were "Mummy, I'm coming home soon" and that police had captured a boot print using infrared drones.
"A newly leaked search video and chilling evidence photos are now raising terrifying questions about what really happened that night — and whether someone out there knows more than they're saying," the post claims.
There is no record of Gus's final words before his disappearance and while footprints were found near the property, investigators ruled out a connection to Gus.
An infrared drone was used in the investigation, but police did not say the technology uncovered a boot print.
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