26 February 2025

West Australian man charged with using social media to threaten federal MP

| John Murtagh
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AFP badge on an officer's uniform

The accused was also charged with two other offences. Photo: Michelle Kroll.

A Toodyay man, 29, was charged on 21 February following an investigation into repeated threats made online towards a Member of Parliament.

The AFP executed a search warrant at the home of the accused where they forensically reviewed numerous electronic devices and allegedly found three cannabis plants and drug-related items.

The police allege that the threats were made on social media between November 2024 and December 2024.

The accused has been charged with three counts of using a carriage service to menace, harass or cause offence, a crime that carries a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment.

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He is also facing two counts of possessing drug paraphernalia and one count of cultivation of a prohibited plant.

The man was granted conditional bail by the West Australian police and will appear before the Perth Magistrates Court on 12 March.

“The AFP supports freedom of speech and political expression, but I want to make it clear we will never tolerate criminal behaviour, including threats and harassment,” AFP Commander Renee Colley said.

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