Qld Magistrate’s son charged with nine child sex offences

The 22-year-old son of a Queensland magistrate has been charged with nine sex offences, including grooming, raping and filming a child.

Cooper Mitchell Bamberry.

The son of a Queensland magistrate has been charged with grooming, raping and filming a child.

Cooper Mitchell Bamberry was arrested at his Helensvale home on Thursday by Gold Coast Child Protection and Investigation Unit officers and charged with nine child abuse offences.

The 22-year-old is the son of Queensland magistrate Mark Bamberry.

Bamberry’s arrest follows an appeal for information from police earlier this month over alleged offending on the Gold Coast.

Police were initially unable to identify Bamberry and released a partial photograph of him to the public on March 2.

As a result of the public appeal and investigations, police executed a search warrant on March 3 and seized a number of Bamberry’s electronic devices.

He has been charged with four counts of indecent treatment of a child under 16, two counts of engaging in penile intercourse with a child under 16, and one count each of grooming child under 16, involving a child in making exploitation material, and distributing child exploitation material.

Bamberry faced Brisbane Arrests Court on Friday morning where he was granted bail by a magistrate.

It’s understood the case was moved to Brisbane because Magistrate Bamberry is based at Southport.

His matter will go before Brisbane Magistrates Court again on April 7.

According to a now-deleted LinkedIn profile, he worked in food and beverage at Club Helensvale and also studied at Griffith University.

Magistrate Bamberry founded the well-known and established Gold Coast law firm, Bamberry Lawyers, which has been operating for 12 years.

He was appointed as a magistrate to Southport Magistrates Court in 2022 after more than 20 years as a lawyer working in criminal law, traffic law, commercial and property law, and domestic violence matters.

Magistrate Bamberry has presided over cases including that of former Gold Coast City Councillor Ryan Bayldon-Lumsden who was charged last year with murdering his stepfather, and Gold Coast Suns AFL star Mac Andrew who faced a drink-driving charge in 2023.

Bamberry’s family and The Office of the Chief Magistrate declined to comment on the matter.

Police investigations are continuing.