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Law professor who allegedly impersonated Justin Bieber will be tried soon
A former Queensland law professor accused of impersonating singer Justin Bieber online to obtain child pornography will soon have a trial date set for him on more than 200 charges.
Gordon Douglas Chalmers, 47, was arrested in November 2016 and charged with over 900 child sex crimes. His case is now in the Brisbane District Court and his list of charges has been reduced to 202 crimes.
Gordon Douglas Chalmers. Credit: ResearchGate
These include 53 charges of using a transportation service to groom a child, 68 charges of using a transportation service to get a child to engage in sexual activity, and 56 charges of making child exploitation material.
International police alerted Queensland police, who raided the home of the then 41-year-old man in Kenmore, southwest Brisbane, in November 2016.
Chalmers is accused of impersonating Bieber and contacting children via Facebook and Skype. It is alleged that the children performed sexual acts for his gratification.
His online activity was detected by the federal police in Germany and by Homeland Security in the United States.
Chalmers worked as a law professor at Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, but his team profile now says: “This person does not currently hold a position at QUT.”.
The case, which has been ongoing for more than five and a half years, was reviewed at the Brisbane District Court on Friday. Chalmers was brought to court from prison and represented himself.
He subpoenaed the Crime and Corruption Commission regarding the case material. He also argued with at least one member of the prosecution team and requested that the case be suspended as a result.
