Man accused of accessing child abuse material requests suppression order, computer data back

Robert Andrew Bolding, 46, who is currently in custody, appeared via video link in Port Macquarie Local Court representing himself before Magistrate Georgina Darcy on Thursday, February 8.

Bolding has been charged with using a carrier service to access child abuse material between 10.32pm and 1.02pm on January, 4, 2023.

He is also facing eight charges for failing to comply with his reporting obligations under the Child Protection (Offenders Registration) Act 2000 and has allegedly had a number of social media accounts under various names including Jack Jones, Steven Winston, and Robert Bolding.

The court heard that police had attempted to serve Bolding a written evidence brief but that he refused to sign it as he had previously requested a USB version, despite admitting to the court he did not have access to computers in jail.

"I can't help you with that Mr Bolding," Magistrate Darcy said.

She said that if Bolding refused to take the brief in written form, he might not get it at all.

Bolding made a number of other inquiries in court that went beyond the abilities of the Local Court and Magistrate, including that each charge be heard separately, and that he gets a copy of all the data from his desktop computer seized by police aside from items subject to investigation.

Magistrate Darcy told Bolding that he would have to make an application in the District Court to have each charge heard separately and that police were in the process of retrieving all metadata from the computer.

Police prosecution noted that some evidence is returned after trial depending on the circumstances.

Bolding also asked for a suppression order as "there's been a report of this made in the media" and he was concerned about a prejudicial effect.

Bolding told the court that he has been told the matter is now known to people in the community.

Magistrate Darcy asked what use would a suppression order be, if it was already known to people in the community.

"Nothing that you've said at the moment would prompt me to make a suppression order," she said.

She did tell Bolding that he would have to point to something more specific and file a proper application about which she recommended he get some legal advice.

Bolding also asked Magistrate Darcy if there was a way to prevent police interfering with his defence witness.

He alleged that police had made two phone calls to his support person's place of work.

"I have no control what police do outside of this courtroom," Magistrate Darcy told him.

Bolding will next appear in Port Macquarie Local Court on April, 4.