Anthony Brooks, 33, a registered sex offender, faces new charges including rape and procuring sex by fraud, stemming from allegations of child abuse material and stalking. Brooks appeared in Melbourne Magistrates' Court seeking to vary his bail to live in New South Wales for two months to undergo mental health treatment.
Police allege Brooks possessed child abuse material on several occasions in July and December 2024 at a Docklands address. He is also accused of transmitting such material to an associate in May 2024 and multiple times in July. The court heard Brooks allegedly stalked an individual in Docklands between February 2023 and June 2024, creating fictitious personas to coerce them into an unwanted sexual relationship, including threats of self-harm.
Brooks faces further charges of using a carriage service to menace and breaching his conditions as a registered offender by opening a Gmail account in 2023 without notifying police. He was initially charged in November of the previous year and placed on police bail, which he allegedly breached.
An amended court brief submitted in August included the new charges of rape and procuring sex by fraud related to the same complainant. During Monday's hearing, Brooks' application to vary bail for a two-month stay in Basin View, New South Wales, was based on a desire to reconnect with friends and family and seek mental health care.
The court was informed of Brooks' prior non-conviction for sexual offending against a 15-year-old boy in Sydney. He became a registered sex offender upon moving to Melbourne in 2022. A detective expressed concerns about the ability to monitor bail conditions if Brooks relocated to NSW, noting Brooks had already been charged with three counts of allegedly breaching bail by accessing the internet, including social media and a gay dating app.
Police also allege Brooks may have committed similar offenses against other complainants online, with four ongoing investigations. Brooks, an admitted lawyer, was previously a history honors student at the University of Melbourne and was named to the Dean's Honors List in 2023, 2024, and 2025. He also received the university's 2026 Neville Bonner Memorial Scholarship.
Brooks was forced to move from student accommodation to a rental in Elwood after the sex crime allegations became public. The University of Melbourne declined to answer questions regarding whether it was aware Brooks was a registered offender, its protocols for monitoring sex offenders, or if he would have been permitted to enroll had they known. A university spokesperson stated that legally binding confidentiality and privacy obligations prevent them from confirming details about individuals, while emphasizing the university's commitment to student and staff safety and its robust systems for responding to sexual misconduct.