A registered sex offender who was allowed to enrol in an honours program at the University of Melbourne is now facing a fresh series of serious criminal allegations, among them rape and procuring sex by deception.
Anthony Brooks, 33, appeared before Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Monday, where he applied to have his bail conditions changed so he could spend two months living in New South Wales while receiving mental health treatment.
The bid came as the court was told Brooks had been hit with further charges, following a Daily Mail report in June that revealed he had been accused of offences linked to child abuse material allegedly involving “very young children”.
Police allege Brooks had child abuse material in his possession at a Docklands property on multiple occasions in July and December 2024.
He is further accused of sending child abuse material to a known associate in May 2024, as well as allegedly transmitting similar material several more times in July.
Brooks also allegedly stalked a person at Docklands between February 2023 and June 2024.
Police allege Brooks created multiple fictitious personas to contact and harass the victim, coercing them into an unwanted sexual relationship. This conduct allegedly included threats of self-harm.
Brooks is accused of intending to cause physical or mental harm and of arousing fear for the victim’s safety or that of others.
Registered sex offender Anthony Brooks, 33, is studying at the University of Melbourne
Brooks made a bid to amend his bail so he could move to New South Wales for two months to undergo mental health treatment
Brooks fronted court after he was charged with further offences
He is further charged with using a carriage service to menace, and allegedly breached his reporting conditions as a registered offender by opening a Gmail account in 2023 without notifying police.
Brooks was charged in November last year and placed on police bail, which he has allegedly already breached.
The court heard Brooks allegedly contacted the complainant on September 20, 2024, with threatening messages, including one that read: ‘By now you can probably realise I can become anyone and be on anything, I’ve been Andrew, Anthony, Bradley.’
An amended hand-up brief was submitted in August, containing a significant number of new charges against Brooks, including rape and procuring sex by fraud, relating to the same complainant.
At Monday’s hearing, Brooks applied to vary his bail so he could move to Basin View in the NSW Jervis Bay area for two months between December and January, citing a desire to reconnect with friends and family and seek mental health care.
The court also heard Brooks has a non-conviction prior for sexual offending against a 15-year-old boy in Sydney, but did not become a registered sex offender until he moved to Melbourne in 2022.
A detective from the Proactive Targeting Team, Leading Senior Constable Luke Ilott, told the court that police were concerned they would not be able to monitor or enforce bail conditions if Brooks moved to NSW.
The detective also expressed concerns that Brooks could commit further offences, noting he had already been charged with three counts of allegedly breaching bail by accessing the internet, including social media and the gay dating app Grindr.
Brooks allegedly stalked and sent threatening messages to a complainant
The University of Melbourne refused to answer questions about Brooks
The alleged breaches occurred on June 12, just one week before Brooks appeared in court on June 19.
Brooks is also accused of using multiple devices to communicate with the complainant in the current matter.
Police further alleged Brooks may have committed similar offences against other complainants online.
‘The accused has outstanding matters with other informants investigating him,’ the detective told the court.
‘He was interviewed recently, in August, by Melbourne SOCIT [Sexual Offending and Child Abuse Investigation Team] regarding two different complainants and sets of circumstances.’
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The court was told the ongoing investigations into Brooks are of a similar nature, ‘involving online sexual acts by fraud… one of which [involves] using personas again,’ the detective said.
Brooks is still studying at the prestigious university
The court heard police questioned Brooks after a complainant came forward with allegations against him.
Police said there are currently four ongoing investigations into Brooks’ alleged activities.
‘There’s an outstanding unit, or informant, investigating what this complainant brought forward, which is of a similar nature to online offending,’ the detective said.
‘[Brooks was questioned] but not charged; that aspect of the investigation, child abuse material and contact with that person, is outstanding.’
Police said they seized multiple phones from Brooks on August 20, which are now being examined for child abuse material.
The court was told Brooks is an ‘educated man’ and an admitted lawyer, currently studying history at the University of Melbourne as an honours student.
Brooks was forced to move from student accommodation into an Elwood rental in Melbourne’s south after the Daily Mail revealed the sex crime allegations.
During his academic career, Brooks gained entry to and completed an arts degree at the University of Melbourne.
He was named to the Dean’s Honours List in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
Brooks also received the university’s 2026 Neville Bonner Memorial Scholarship and, as of March this year, was identified as a ‘current history honours student’.
On April 29 this year, about a month after the University of Melbourne scholarship was reported, Brooks was again charged with transmitting child abuse material.
Brooks, an admitted lawyer, was forced to move from student accommodation into an Elwood rental in Melbourne’s south after the Daily Mail revealed the sex crime allegations
The Daily Mail put a series of questions to the university in June, including whether it knew that Brooks was a registered offender, but the institution declined to answer
It is understood Brooks arrived in Melbourne around the time his interstate conditional release order expired in February 2023.
That same month, Brooks, who was living in Docklands, was suspected of beginning his alleged stalking campaign and commenced his studies at the University of Melbourne.
In June, the Daily Mail submitted a series of questions to the university, including whether it was aware Brooks was a registered offender. The university declined to answer.
We also asked what protocols the university has to monitor sex offenders and to ensure the safety and wellbeing of staff and students; again, the university did not respond.
Another question left unanswered was whether Brooks would have been permitted to enrol in the bachelor’s program had the university known he was a sex offender.
‘We have legally binding confidentiality and privacy obligations that prevent us from confirming any details relating to past or present University staff, students, prospective students or other individuals,’ a University of Melbourne spokesperson said in a statement at the time.
The university also provided a general response, describing the safety and wellbeing of its students and staff as ‘paramount’.
‘Any experience of assault, sexual assault and sexual harassment within our university community is unacceptable,’ the spokesperson said.
‘We remain steadfast in upholding our commitments to prevent and respond to sexual misconduct and gender-based violence within our University community, and have robust systems and supports in place for our students and staff.
‘Any student with concerns about their safety at university should contact our Safer Community Program.’