Karate instructor Christopher Martin Bulbrook accused of child sex offences

A fresh update in the case of alleged historical child sex offences against a former Queensland karate instructor has been provided in court. Read here what’s going on.

Detectives arrested Christopher Martin Bulbrook, an East Brisbane man, on Thursday (January 25, 2024) and was released on bail on the 26th January. He has been charged with 96 counts of indecent treatment of girls under 16, eight counts of indecent assault on females, and one count of indecent assault. Brisbane Friday 26th January 2024 Picture David Clark

Lawyers for a former Central Queensland karate instructor accused of indecent treatment of children are waiting on new material to be disclosed by police, a court has heard.

Christopher Martin Bulbrook, a karate instructor in the 1980s, allegedly offended against 11 complainants between 1983 and 2011 across the state, the Brisbane Arrest Court heard in January.

Mr Bulbrook, 64, faces 77 counts of indecent treatment of girls under 14, 23 counts of indecent treatment of girls under 16, seven counts of indecent assault of females, one count of indecent treatment of girls under 12 and one count of indecent assault in the Rockhampton region in the 1980s.

Mr Bulbrook also faces charges for alleged offences committed on the Fraser Coast in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

He has been charged with seven counts of rape, five counts of indecent treatment of girls under 16, three of indecent treatment of girls under 16 (expose), one indecent assault and an unlawful exposure of an intellectually impaired person to an indecent act.

He also faces an indecent treatment of girls under 16 (expose) in Queensland from the 1990s.

Mr Bulbrook has been charged with three counts of sexual assault and one of indecent treatment of a child under 12 in Brisbane from the 2000s.

His lawyers have had material disclosed to them last year by police prosecution which had previously been described as containing a “very, very large amount of material”.

During an update in Rockhampton Magistrates Court on January 22, Legal Aid lawyer Sean Gibbs, as town agent (liaison for Mr Bulbrook’s lawyers), told the court heard there had been “some further disclosure (of material) received” since November.

“But there’s some disclosure in relation to some new statements that has been stalled,” Mr Gibbs said.

When Mr Bulbrook, 64, appeared in Brisbane Arrest Court in January 2024 on 105 charges, Commonwealth prosecutor Lauren Archer said the number of charges could grow because there were further alleged victims yet to formally speak to police for fear of reprisal fears.

“There is already evidence that the defendant has possibly interfered with a police witness, who had provided assistance to police and has since recanted her assistance in respect of one of the charges before the court,” Ms Archer told the court.

Mr Bulbrook was granted bail on strict conditions, including that he not contact his 11 alleged female victims, and also not contact “any child” except if a child is accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Mr Bulbrook’s matters were adjourned to March 26 and he remains on bail.

Originally published as Karate instructor Christopher Martin Bulbrook accused of child sex offences