Former police officer Antonius Laurier, 71, in Beenleigh Court for alleged child exploitation material

A retired Queensland police officer of 40 years has left a court bewildered by his explanation as to how he was busted with more than 1500 child exploitation images.

Antonius Laurentius Laurier, 71, leaving Beenleigh District Court.

A retired Logan police officer with 40 years’ experience allegedly had more than 1500 images of child exploitation material but his reasoning has left the court bewildered.

Antonius Laurentius Laurier, faced Beenleigh District Court on February 23 charged with three counts of possession of child exploitation material.

The Director of Public Prosecutions has alleged the 71-year-old Park Ridge man was found with hard drives containing 1,774 images, 17 videos and written material of the illegal content.

The court heard Mr Laurier worked for the metropolitan Chief Investigative Department for 40 years, reaching the rank of Senior Sergeant.

The child exploitation material was allegedly found on hard drives across three homes, including his ex-wife’s residence, between May 31 and August 12, 2019.

Material was also allegedly discovered on October 23, 2020.

Mr Laurier’s defence barrister Rick Taylor said his client worked under Assistant Police Commissioner Graham Williams during the controversial Fitzgerald Inquiry era of the Queensland Police Service.

“Mr Laurier had an unblemished career after 40 years in the service, he monitored child abuse material at the time as part of an operation under Assistant Police Commissioner Graham Williams’s orders,” he said.

“Mr Williams was head of the child abuse section of the police force.

“There was a secretive operation where Mr Williams asked Mr Laurier directly to help locate child abuse material in the 1990s.”

Mr Williams is not accused of any wrongdoing.

“Through being exposed to this, coupled with ever changing computer technology, he found himself searching for this material again in 2019 and 2020.”

The court heard Mr Laurier worked as a cop in Mt Morgan and was a Senior Sergeant in the State Traffic Support Branch.

He received a police medal and a federal honour for his overall contribution to QPS in 2012.

Crown prosecutor Samantha O’Rourke did not accept the reasoning of the defence and asked the matter be listed for a contested facts sentence.

“He has an entrenched underlying problem and the crown believes he should receive a head sentence of 12 to 18 months, with a requirement to serve actual jail time,” she said.

“His mature age, the length of time this occurred over and the number of images mean there is no exceptional circumstances.”

Judge Craig Chowdhury listed the matter for a contested facts sentence on April 23.

Mr Laurier may give evidence regarding his work under Acting Commissioner Williams and its role in his alleged possession of the material.