Rockhampton businessman Bruce Kerr pleads guilty to computer hacking

A Rockhampton businessman accused of extorting a client was scheduled to go to trial this week. But there was a surprise change on the first day.

Bruce Kerr form Kerr’s IT Solutions

A Rockhampton businessman accused of extorting made a last minute deal with prosecutors before his trial began on Monday, November 20.

Bruce Kerr, owner and operator of Kerr’s IT Solutions, had been charged with one count of extortion and one of computer hacking after an incident in May 2021 with Green Steel on Gladstone Road.

It had been alleged Mr Kerr threatened to cut off client Green Steel’s computers to a server under Mr Kerr’s control if outstanding invoices, which Mr Kerr dropped off on the morning of May 27, 2021, were not paid by 2pm.

Mr Kerr allegedly put the threat in writing when he emailed Green Steel owner Brett Steven Green at 1.15pm on May 27, again asking for the invoices to be paid by 2pm to “guarantee uninterrupted access to all their business systems”.

During a hearing on this matter in July 2022, the Rockhampton Magistrates Court heard Mr Kerr’s actions caused disruption to the customer’s $150,000 per day business operations.

The matter was to go to trial this week in Rockhampton District Court, however Kerr’s defence team negotiated with the prosecution and the extortion charge was dismissed Monday afternoon, November 20.

Kerr pleaded guilty, on November 20, to one count of computer hacking with aggravating circumstances of intending to cause detriment.

His sentence is scheduled for 9am tomorrow, November 21, and he was allowed to leave the court overnight on bail.

Originally published as Rockhampton businessman Bruce Kerr pleads guilty to computer hacking