"These are our kids,” she wrote. “I couldn't care less what an individual chooses to do, but the moment they step into our kids world you can be damn sure we will be watching everything you do. If you don't understand that you are not a parent, not a decent one anyway.”

She signed off with the hashtag "#handsoffourkidssexualactivists".

The worst of the 200 comments directly suggested Moleta was grooming children.

Some cited Sodom and Gomorrah, others referenced Satan. Even the tamest ones were deeply unpleasant: “There should be a vomit button on Facebook.” “What an abomination.” “Scum.”

The post and comments, Moleta said, had a “devastating” effect on her.

Her anxiety was so bad that she had trouble sleeping. She quit all three of her jobs working with LGBTI youth — event producer at Minus18; volunteer coordinator at LGBTI crisis hotline Switchboard; and presenting a radio show for queer people aged 10-18 — because she was so worried about the organisations and the young people involved being targeted.

“People were already threatening to come to Minus18 on these posts when I was running an event, to protest or whatever. They were targeting the radio show,” she said.

“So I thought it was best that I step back to make sure everyone else is safe.”

She was also worried about what the post would mean for her future.

“After this started, the first thing people see when you Google my name was these horrible accusations. I wanted to ensure that in my future I could apply to adopt a kid, be a foster mum or work with young people and not have this fear that this moment in my life would stop me from doing that.”

But the anxiety was accompanied by a sense of injustice: surely something could be done.

“Everyone kept being like, ‘just put your head down, it’ll go away, these things pass’,” she said. “But I’m not the type of person who just lets things go if I don’t think they’re right.”

She found a lawyer, Christien Corns at K&L Gates, who acted for her on a no-win, no-fee basis.

She also secured two pro bono barristers: Matt Collins QC — who is the president of the Victorian Bar Association and acted for Pitch Perfect star Rebel Wilson in her defamation case — and Natalie Hickey.