A man from Australia impersonated Justin Bieber and he was charged with more than 900 child sex offenses. He posed as the Canadian singer online and obtained explicit images from children.
Police confirmed the news on Thursday and warned parents to be vigilant regarding their children using the internet. Gordon Douglas Chalmers, the man suspected of impersonating Bieber, was a law lecturer at the Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane but was fired after the charges were made.
Chalmers was charged in November but the information was released just recently because the issuance of the search warrants. They used the search warrant to comb through his social media and messaging accounts, Fox News revealed.
According to the reports, he used Facebook and Skype to pose as Bieber. The United States and German Authorities received tips and an investigation followed.
Chalmers is now charged with using a carriage service to procure and groom children for sex and to access child pornography. He is also charged with possessing child porn, rape and making child exploitation material. The details about the circumstances surrounding the charges are unknown, New York Times reported.
Police Detective Inspector Jon Rouse said the fact that many children believed they communicated with Bieber underscores the need for parents to educate their children regarding online safety. Rouse added, "The breadth of offenses committed in this instance is frankly horrendous." He also stressed children are vulnerable to child-sex offenders who take advantage of social media and communication applications.
Police did not reveal the total number of victims and from what country the children were from but they confirmed some were from Australia, Britain and the United States. The crimes of Chalmers reportedly dated back as far as a decade ago.
Bieber, 23, who is currently in Australia for his "Purpose" world tour, did not comment on the matter. His representatives also did not release any statement.
