30 Bail Breaches, $600 Fine: Accused Paedophile Walks Free Again

A 23-year-old Gold Coast man accused of multiple child sex offences has walked free from court with nothing more than a $600 fine, despite racking up 30 separate bail breaches — sparking fury among Queensland police and renewed calls for tougher bail enforcement laws.

Alex Peter Anderson is subject to strict bail conditions that prohibit him from coming within 10 metres of children. Yet over recent months he has been found at a go-kart track with children present, attended the Royal Queensland Show — the Ekka — while it was packed with families, and on earlier occasions visited Dreamworld and Sea World, all in direct defiance of court orders.

Anderson has now appeared before four different magistrates and admitted to breaching his conditions twice in under a year. Each time, he has left Southport Magistrates Court without being remanded in custody. His most recent court appearance resulted in only the $600 financial penalty, a outcome that has left police openly frustrated.

Shane Prior, Secretary of the Queensland Police Union, described the situation as deeply demoralising for officers working to keep the community safe. "Bail conditions aren't suggestions," Prior said. "When someone repeatedly ignores them in such a serious way, the magistrates need to listen and act on police objections instead of just letting them back out into the community."

Prior noted that police had caught Anderson at venues he was explicitly banned from attending on multiple occasions, yet courts had consistently declined to tighten his bail or remand him. With the Ekka continuing this week and the Pacific Air Show approaching on the Gold Coast, police fear further incidents are inevitable if Anderson remains at large under conditions he has shown no willingness to respect.

"A $600 fine is not protection for the community — it's a slap on the wrist," Prior said. "Perhaps he needs to be placed in a correctional facility."

The case has reignited debate over Queensland's bail framework and whether the state's "breach bail, go to jail" policy — currently being pushed for juvenile offenders — should be extended to cover adults facing serious charges. Critics argue the disparity between the gravity of Anderson's alleged offending and the consequences he has faced in court exposes a fundamental gap in the system's ability to protect children.

Police across the Gold Coast and the broader Queensland Police Service say they will continue to monitor Anderson's movements, but union representatives warn that without meaningful judicial consequences, enforcement efforts are being undermined at every turn.