Man Gets 931 Child Sex Charges After Posing As Justin Bieber To Seduce Kids
Fans of Justin Bieber have been urged to stay vigilant online after a university lecturer was accused of posing as the star to groom children.
Police in Australia have charged Gordon Chalmers, 42, with 931 child sex offenses, including rape, following an investigation, Daily Mail Australia reported.
The law lecturer at Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane pretended to be Bieber, 23, in order to gain explicit sexual images from the children he spoke to, police said.
It is not known how many victims there were, but it's believed he started back in 2007, targeting people all over the world.
Authorities in the USA and Germany gave separate tip-offs to police, leading to his arrest last year.
Chalmers was initially charged in November — leading authorities to obtain warrants to search his computer.
As a result of the search, a large amount of child exploitation material was found, and Chalmers was slapped with hundreds of extra charges.
Totaling 931, they include rape, indecent treatment of children and making child exploitation material, using a carriage service to procure person under 16 and using a carriage service for child pornography material.
He allegedly used online platforms including Facebook and Skype to contact his victims.
Queensland Police have called on Bieber's fans and their parents to ensure they are being safe online.
The Canadian pop phenomenon is currently in Australia on his Purpose World Tour, where he will play in Melbourne this week and Sydney and Brisbane next week.
Detective inspector Jon Rouse said,
This investigation demonstrates both the vulnerability of children that are utilizing social media and communication applications and the global reach and skill that child sex offenders have to groom and seduce victims. The fact that so many children could believe that they were communicating with this particular celebrity highlights the need for a serious rethink about the way that we as a society educate our children about online safety. The breadth of offenses committed in this instance are frankly horrendous and I want to recognize the efforts and commitment of the investigative team at Taskforce Argos to keeping children safe.
Chalmers will appear at Brisbane Magistrates' Court on April 6.
Citations: University law lecturer, 42, 'posed as Justin Bieber to trick children into sending nude photos' - and is charged with more than 900 child sex offences Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4295828/Queensland-man-charged-931-child-sex-offences.html#ixzz4aqfuwsr4 Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook (Daily Mail Australia)
