Cleaner Alex Hammond charged with possessing child exploitation material
A cleaner at a popular Sunshine Coast shopping centre has been arrested after police allege he was found with hundreds of images depicting the heinous abuse of children.
Police & Courts
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A married Sunshine Plaza night cleaner has been accused of sexually assaulting a woman during a break-in, masturbating near a children’s playground and possessing a secret stash of files depicting the hideous abuse of children on his mobile phone.
These allegedly disturbing allegations were revealed in documents tendered to Alex Francis Hammond’s bail application in the Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Tuesday, where he faced charges of sexual assault, possessing child exploitation material, using a carriage service to access child abuse material, enter dwelling with intent at night and an indecent act in public.
Bail objections documents state police spoke to the Maroochydore man on February 3 for an investigation into another alleged indecent act where he was asked to attend the police station.
While he was being interviewed police were required to access his phone to view his home camera CCTV application to corroborate his clothing when he left his home in relation to the allegation.
Court documents state after looking in recent files for Hammond’s home security footage, officers allegedly observed files with titles such as “mom and 10-year-old” with media stills of a sexual nature which appeared to be children.
Police state the 32-year-old’s phone was seized on the spot. Police allege downloads of his phone uncovered several hundred child exploitation material files.
The bail objection stated the files allegedly included children who appeared to be under 10 being sexually abused.
On Monday officers returned to Hammond’s home where his house was raided, with phones, laptops and devices seized and awaiting to be analysed.
Court documents detailed more allegations levelled at Hammond, including an indecent act at Friendship Park at Maroochydore on February 19 in 2023.
Police allege Hammond was seen masturbating in a barbecue area near a children’s playground, with a witness taking photos of Hammond from behind his vehicle, which detectives state was registered to the 32-year-old.
Court documents state the clothing worn at the alleged park masturbation matched clothes worn by the Maroochydore man found in his CCTV footage.
The court heard Hammond faced an additional charge of an indecent act in a public place where he will face court on February 21.
Another allegedly disturbing allegation raised against Hammond was a break-in and sexual assault of a woman in late 2021.
Police further allege a 29-year-old woman woke up to the 32-year-old, dressed only in his underpants, pulling down her bed covers along with her underwear and touching her hip.
The woman allegedly pushed Hammond away who fled, however police claim she observed his facial features. Court documents state fingerprints left at the backdoor also allegedly matched Hammond.
In court on Tuesday, police prosecutor Bec Lambert said it appeared Hammond’s alleged offending was escalating. She stated the child exploitation files were allegedly downloaded by the cleaner as far back as 2021 to January 30 this year.
“This is highly concerning sexual behaviour,” Sergeant Lambert said.
“It is escalating … the public should be kept safe from his continued offending behaviour.”
Duty lawyer Ben Rynderman said Hammond, who had a wife and was employed as a night cleaner at the popular Maroochydore shopping centre, had no other criminal history and could abide by strict bail conditions including a curfew.
Magistrate Haydn Stjernqvist opted to give Hammond bail on conditions which included he only attend the plaza for work, have no encrypted applications on his phone and report to police twice a week.
His matters will return to court on March 31.
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