Ipswich dad Dean Cameron Clarke accused of sexual payphone calls near Churchill primary school

A court has heard that a convicted child sex offender has been accused of ‘disturbing’ behaviour near a southeast Queensland primary school after police allegedly busted him with his pants down in a payphone.

A convicted child sex offender has been accused of making hundreds of ‘disturbing’ sexual calls from locations including a payphone just metres away from a southeast Queensland primary school. Generic image.

A convicted child sex offender has been accused of making hundreds of ‘disturbing’ sexual calls from locations including a payphone just metres away from a southeast Queensland primary school.

Ipswich dad Dean Cameron Clarke, 34, stands charged with improper use of an emergency call service (vexatious), indecent act in a public place, failing to comply with his reporting conditions, and two counts each of common assault, obstructing police, seriously assaulting police by biting/spitting, and using a carriage service to menace, harass or cause offence.

He made an application for bail in Ipswich Magistrates’ Court on December 12.

Magistrate Dennis Kinsella said Clarke was a “convicted child sex offender”, and the new allegations against him painted a “very disturbing picture”.

He said police would allege Clarke made 461 calls to different hotlines, including RESPECT and a homeless hotline, from September 5 to December 7.

Police prosecutor Senior Constable Marjorie Bridger said Clarke had been released on bail just days earlier on September 1 for possess tainted property and obstruct police charges.

Mr Kinsella said Clarke was accused of making sexual comments, including telling operators he was masturbating and that his “d--k was so hard he was going to blow”.

It was further alleged Clarke called Triple-0 multiple times on November 20, and told operators he was “horny” and “hard”.

Senior Constable Bridger said on one occasion Clarke had called from a phone booth at a takeaway store “within metres” of the Churchill primary school.

But she acknowledged no children would have actually been in the vicinity, as it had been 1.30am at the time.

Mr Kinsella said police traced a call from Clarke on December 7 and located him in a phone booth in the Ipswich city centre.

The court heard police found him at the phone booth around 4.30pm with his pants and underwear down, fully exposed.

It is alleged Clarke bit a police officer while being arrested, attempted to bite another officer, and also spat at another.

Defence lawyer Paddy O’Donnell said his client had not received any formal diagnoses, but a mental health report had recommended he should be treated as a voluntary patient.

He said Clarke had no recollection of some of alleged events and had “clearly been affected by illicit substances”.

“He’s instructed me that he wants to seek help,” Mr O’Donnell said.

Clarke had worked in landscaping and meatworks previously, and also had qualifications as a welder.

His girlfriend put forward her address as a potential bail address, but Senior Constable Bridger noted the address was across the road from a school.

Mr Kinsella considered adjourning the bail application to allow Mr O’Donnell to find a more appropriate bail address.

But he decided it ultimately wouldn’t affect his decision, and refused Clarke’s bail.

Mr Kinsella said Clarke posed an unacceptable risk of failing to appear or committing further offences.

He said it seemed Clarke had been “doing what he does best – that is creating havoc in the community”.

“The conduct to my mind is somewhat bizarre if not abhorrent and reprehensible behaviour of a sexual nature.”

The matter was adjourned for mention on January 10, 2024, and Clarke was remanded in custody.

Originally published as Ipswich dad Dean Cameron Clarke accused of sexual payphone calls near Churchill primary school