Former Judge Confronts Additional Charges in Child Abuse Material Investigation
A former senior deputy president of the Fair Work Commission, who stands accused of displaying child abuse content to law students during a lecture, now faces the prospect of further charges following the discovery of additional illicit material on an old VHS cassette tape.
Court Proceedings Reveal New Evidence
Justice Alan Boulton, 74, appeared via video link from his private study at the Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Friday, where prosecutors revealed they had located more alleged illicit material on a vintage VHS tape. The court heard that Crown prosecutors require additional time to build their case against the former judge following this new discovery.
'We are seeking that additional time to consider charges related to a cassette tape,' the prosecutor told the court during the hearing. The matter has been adjourned for another ten weeks as police work to determine whether further charges will be pressed against Boulton.
Background of the Case
The charges stem from an incident that allegedly occurred during the final fifteen minutes of a human rights lecture at Monash University's Melbourne CBD campus on February 5 last year. Following the alleged incident, the university immediately referred the matter to Victoria Police, who conducted a raid on Boulton's Middle Park home one week later, seizing multiple electronic devices.
Police subsequently charged Boulton with one count of possessing child abuse material as a Commonwealth offence and two additional counts of possessing child abuse material following what detectives described as a 'lengthy' investigation. It took authorities seven months to lay these initial charges against the former judge.
Controversial Travel Permission
During a previous hearing late last year, Boulton was granted permission to travel overseas despite being on bail, a decision that prosecutors strongly opposed. Boulton's lawyer argued that her client had already spent a significant amount on international travel arrangements and had been transparent with investigators about his plans.
'My instructor has been upfront with the informant and police throughout the entirety of this investigation and provided them on July 23 with information about Mr Boulton's future trip,' she stated during the hearing. 'No issue was taken with that. On that basis he booked the trip. A serious amount of money has been spent on that trip.'
University Response and Student Reactions
Monash University, which is regarded as one of Australia's most prestigious institutions and ranks among the top fifty universities worldwide, immediately suspended Boulton from all teaching duties following the alleged incident. The university confirmed in a statement that they had 'referred the matter to Victoria Police' after becoming aware of concerns relating to the February 2025 incident.
A student who attended the lecture has since described his shock at the alleged incident, telling Seven News: 'You don't obviously expect when you're in class to see something like that. I had one female friend in the class who was quite disturbed by what they'd seen. You don't come into a learning environment with a teacher, a chief examiner and expect to come into that situation.'
Technical Aspect of New Evidence
The newly discovered material was found on a VHS cassette tape, a format developed by JVC and released in 1976 that served as the standard for home video recording for over two decades before being superseded by DVDs, Blu-ray discs, and eventually streaming services. The exact nature of the charges related to this tape remains unclear as media have been denied access to court materials.
Magistrate Brett Sonnet, who approved Boulton's overseas travel request, noted that he took into account the former judge's age and lack of prior criminal history in making his decision. Magistrate Sonnet is the brother of career criminal Sean Sonnet, who served as former lieutenant to gangland boss Carl Williams.
If found guilty of the charges against him, Boulton faces the possibility of imprisonment. The case continues to develop as investigators examine the contents of the VHS tape and determine whether additional charges will be brought against the former senior deputy president.
