Leading magistrates son charged with NINE disturbing child sex offences after daytime arrest at seaside home

The son of a magistrate has been charged with nine child abuse offences including grooming, raping and filming.

Cooper Mitchell Bamberry was detained at his Helensvale home, on the Gold Coast, on Thursday by the Child Protection and Investigation Unit.

The 22-year-old is the son of Queensland magistrate Mark Bamberry and he was arrested after police asked the public for help.

Police released a limited picture of him on March 2, and the next day authorities seized a number of Bamberry’s electronic devices for their investigations.

He was 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.

He fronted to Brisbane Arrests Court on Friday where he was granted bail by a magistrate.

It was likely moved up north to Brisbane because Magistrate Bamberry was based at Southport on the Gold Coast.

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

The partial photo of Cooper Mitchell Bamberry helped police arrest him

Police investigations are still ongoing.

His father founded the Gold Coast law firm Bamberry Lawyers which has been operational for 12 years.

Mark Bamberry 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.

He presided over cases including that of former Gold Coast City Councillor Ryan Bayldon-Lumsden who was charged in 2024 with murdering his stepfather.