‘Judicial corruption': Ex-law lecturer accused of posing as Justin Bieber to solicit explicit images makes sensational claim in court
A former law lecturer accused of posing as pop icon Justin Bieber to convince children to send him explicit images over Facebook and Skype has dropped his legal team and
bizarrely claimed his case involves 'cover-ups and judicial corruption'.
Gordon Douglas Chalmers was scheduled to be arraigned at Brisbane District Court on Monday on more than 200 charges, including child grooming and making child exploitation material.
Chalmers, a former lecturer at Queensland University of Technology (QUT), instead went on a tangent trying to address the court, claiming there were 'exceptional circumstances' that warranted his matter being treated differently.
After a brief adjournment, his legal team returned to the bar table and told Judge Deborah Richards they were withdrawing from the matter due to Mr Chalmers' grant of legal aid being terminated.
Mr Chalmers claimed in court that he did not terminate the arrangement before claiming his relationship with his lawyers was not 'absolute'.
He then went on a tangent, claiming the matter ended up before Judge Richards because of 'the worst case of judicial corruption' and 'cover-ups' during pre-trial proceedings.
Mr Chalmers requested an adjournment so 'a fair and just consideration' could be made on how his matter would proceed.
A Legal Aid representative told the court that it would take up to eight weeks for another grant of aid to be assessed.
Mr Chalmers continued by claiming barristers would be 'disbarred' if they raised the matters he alleged in court, asserting his matter was considered 'career-destroying' by lawyers.
'They are more concerned about their future job prospects than standing up for not just their clients' rights but also about their duties and obligations to the court,' Mr Chalmers claimed.
After Mr Chalmers claimed that Judge Richards had been handed a poisoned chalice, she wryly replied: 'That's OK, I'm used to poisoned chalices.
'So presuming there will be an application, likely a rejection, then possibly an appeal – that will be the process, won't it?' Judge Richards asked the Commonwealth prosecutor.
Mr Chalmers' matter was adjourned to July 21 to allow his legal aid grant to be assessed. He was remanded in custody.
Mr Chalmers no longer holds a position at QUT, according to the university's website.
He has been in custody on remand since 2017 following his arrest.
Police allege Mr Chalmers used online platforms including Facebook and Skype to communicate with his victims, allegedly posing as Bieber while contacting children.
Mr Chalmers initially faced 900 charges, but the bulk were dropped upon his committal in 2017.
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