A 42-year-old man in Australia has been charged with more than 900 child sex offenses, including rape, which authorities said he accomplished by posing online as Canadian pop star Justin Bieber.
The man, whose name has not been made public, is accused of posing as Bieber to get underage children to send him explicit photos, according to the Queensland Police Service. He used a variety of online platforms, including Facebook and Skype.
BBC News reported that the Queensland police investigators have charged the man with 931 crimes involving 157 alleged victims around the world. Three of the charges are for rape.
The other charges include indecent treatment of children, making child exploitation material, using a carriage service to procure a person under 16 and using a carriage service for child pornography material, Queensland police officials said.
"The breadth of offenses committed in this instance are frankly horrendous," Detective Inspector Jon Rouse said of the case. "The fact that so many children could believe that they were communicating with this particular celebrity highlights the need for a serious rethink about the way that we, as a society, educate our children about online safety."
At least 50 of the victims were in the United States, BBC News reported. Up to 20 were in the United Kingdom and six were in Australia. Further details were still being determined by investigators.
The charges against the man came about when authorities searched his computer in connection with previous child sex abuse charges against him. The man was already charged with possession of exploitative materials and using a carriage service to groom children under the age of 16, the Queensland police news release said.
The charges date back to 2007, authorities said.
Bieber is currently in Australia as part of his world tour promoting “Purpose,” his fourth studio album.
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