A Brisbane teacher who allegedly impersonated pop star Justin Bieber to coerce young children into sending explicit images has been granted bail pending trial, after spending nearly 10 years in custody.
Allegations and Charges
Gordon Douglas Chalmers, 50, is accused of using social media platforms such as Facebook and Skype to pose as the Canadian singer and convince fans to send him naked photographs. He allegedly interacted with 157 children worldwide. Chalmers, who taught Indigenous law and philosophy at Queensland University of Technology, faces more than 200 child abuse offences, with the alleged offending dating back to at least 2007. The charges include possession and production of child exploitation material, and using a carriage service for child pornography.
Bail Decision
Chalmers was arrested in 2016 and has been in custody since, but his trial has been delayed multiple times due to changes in his legal representation. Earlier this month, Judge Michael Burnett granted him bail, citing the risk of him spending excessive time in jail without a conviction. The trial, originally scheduled for May 11, has been postponed to October.
In a recent court appearance, Chalmers, who was self-represented, attempted to delay the trial further. Judge Burnett denied the request, noting that several of Chalmers' lawyers appeared to have been 'hired and fired'. Barrister Dylan Kerr, representing the Commonwealth DPP, argued that the trial should proceed as scheduled, stating, 'This matter has extensive history. Mr Chalmers had gone through at least five different lawyers. The Crown's position is that this trial must proceed in May whether Mr Chalmers is represented or not.'
Background of the Case
Chalmers was first charged in 2016 with nearly 1,000 counts of grooming and procuring children under 16, as well as accessing child pornography. His Kenmore home was raided after a tip-off from German and US authorities. Detectives allegedly found a massive trove of child exploitation material on his computers, including over 123,000 conversations on Skype. In 2020, the number of charges was reduced to 202.
