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Paul Leask locked up the worst of the worst as a tough-as-nails Crown prosecutor – and was feted on Underbelly… Now he’s been accused of truly horrific crimes

Paul Leask was a NSW Crown prosecutor

Arrested in Sydney hotel room in January

READ MORE: Top lawyer Paul Leask charged

By STEPHEN GIBBS, SENIOR NEWS REPORTER, AUSTRALIA and MAX AITCHISON, POLITICAL REPORTER, AUSTRALIA

Published: 08:14 BST, 22 September 2025 | Updated: 08:14 BST, 22 September 2025

A top lawyer who featured in the Underbelly television series and was arrested in January over allegations involving child abuse has been hit with a string of further charges.

As a NSW Crown prosecutor, Paul Leask was responsible for helping send some of Australia’s worst criminals to jail but has himself now been behind bars for almost eight months.

The 59-year-old was nabbed by Australian Federal Police during a raid on a hotel in Sydney’s central business district on January 30 after a tip-off from US authorities.

Police allege they found a hard drive containing more than 300 files depicting child abuse material and a white crystal substance believed to be a prohibited drug.

Leask was originally charged with four offences relating to the possession, access and distribution of child abuse material and another of drug possession and did not apply for bail when he first faced court.

He is now charged with 11 counts of using a carriage service to make available child abuse material, five counts of using a carriage service to access child abuse material, two of possessing child abuse data and one of possessing child abuse material.

Leask is further facing two charges of drug possession but according to court records, one is set to be withdrawn.

The AFP allegedly identified Leask while investigating a report from the US National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about a user uploading child abuse material online.

Former Crown prosecutor Paul Anthony Leask (above) was arrested in January over allegations involving child abuse and has now been hit with a string of further charges

Paul Leask was played by Michael Dorman in Underbelly:Badness (above), the fifth season of the Nine Network crime franchise

‘AFP investigators allegedly linked the Sydney man to the illegal online activity,’ the AFP said in a statement at the time.

‘They executed a search warrant at the man’s hotel room on 30 January, 2025, allegedly finding more than 300 files of child abuse material on electronic devices. The devices will be subject to further forensic examination.

‘Investigators also found a clip-seal bag containing a substance suspected to be methamphetamine, and drug paraphernalia.’

Leask, who is now retired and is understood to live in Bali, was one of NSW’s leading Crown prosecutors.

He helped jail crime boss Anthony ‘Rooster’ Perish who was sentenced to 24 years in prison in 2012 over the 2001 murder of drug dealer Terry Falconer.

Falconer’s body had been chopped up and concealed in six packages before being dumped in the Hastings River on the NSW mid-north coast.

Perish’s crimes were dramatised in Underbelly: Badness, the fifth season of the franchise which screened on the Nine Network.

Jonathan LaPaglia played Perish, Leask was portrayed by Michael Dorman and Matt Nable was homicide detective Gary Jubelin.

Leask helped jail killer Anthony ‘Rooster’ Perish, whose crimes were dramatised in Underbelly:Badness

Shock twist over cop accused of shooting dead TV presenter and his flight attendant boyfriend

In a newspaper profile piece on Sydney’s top lawyers published in 2013, Leask was described as making a habit of pursuing murder charges instead of accepting pleas to manslaughter.

‘He’s high energy and extremely thorough to the point of being obsessive,’ one colleague said.

Leask prosecuted Tarek Abdallah, who was jailed for at least 20 years in 2012 over the underworld shooting murder of Neil Todorovski two years earlier.

In 2015, he also helped convict maths tutor Quy Huy Hoang who used his position to sexually abuse five children between 2007 and 2014.

Leask left the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in May last year, having been on leave since April 2023.

Leask is next due to appear in Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday.

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Paul Leask locked up the worst of the worst as a tough-as-nails Crown prosecutor – and was feted on Underbelly… Now he’s been accused of truly horrific crimes