The first person charged with misusing a landmark public sex offender registry has been granted bail.
Brian Allan Smith faced Ipswich Magistrates Court on Wednesday after being accused of accessing Queensland’s registry and passing on information about a sex offender.
The 47-year-old was charged after Queensland set up Australia’s first public child sex offender register under legislation honouring abducted teen Daniel Morcombe.
The child protection register was made available online from December 31, 2025, providing access to the photos and locations of sex offenders.
The Queensland government website freely lists all sex offenders whose current locations are not known to police.
Anyone wanting details of sex offenders in their area must submit an application including their own identification and address.
People can also apply to check if a specific adult who spends time alone with a child is a reportable sex offender in Queensland.
Smith has been charged with “publishing identifying information” after accessing the register.
Court documents obtained by AAP stated the offence occurred at Lowood, east of Brisbane, on January 1 – the day after the sex offender site went live.
It is an offence in Queensland for a person to display, distribute or publish any identifying information from the sex offender registry without approval.
Anybody found guilty of the offence faces a maximum penalty of three years imprisonment.
Smith’s charge might be a Commonwealth law matter, solicitor Amanda Rossow told Magistrate Robert Walker on Wednesday.
“It’s a state charge under child protection offender reporting prohibition order,” Mr Walker said.
He adjourned the matter until February 4 and granted bail to Smith, who stood at the bar table in court wearing a dark short-sleeved shirt and white pants.
Smith said “no comment” as he left the court building after his matter was briefly mentioned on Wednesday.
The sex offender website was created under Daniel’s law, named for 13-year-old Daniel Morcombe who was abducted and murdered in December 2003 on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast by a serial child sex offender.
The Daniel’s law website states it provides applicants with details of “reportable offenders who have a history of repeat child sex offending or have been considered to be a high risk to children in your residential area”.
