Australian Federal Police arrest northern NSW resident after investigation into online content targeting federal MP.
A 53-year-old man from Woolgoolga on the New South Wales north coast has been charged by the Australian Federal Police over a series of allegedly offensive social media posts directed at a federal parliamentarian.
The man is scheduled to appear before Coffs Harbour Local Court on 4 September 2026. He was granted police bail following his arrest.
NSW Man Charged Over Offensive Social Media Posts:
The AFP’s National Security Investigations (NSI) team launched the inquiry in June 2026 after receiving a report of offensive and threatening posts on social media. Investigators subsequently linked the material to an account allegedly operated by the Woolgoolga resident.
On 9 July 2026, officers executed a search warrant at a property in Woolgoolga and seized a mobile phone for forensic examination. The man was charged with one count of using a carriage service to menace, harass or cause offence, contrary to section 474.17 of the Commonwealth Criminal Code. The offence carries a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment.
AFP Acting Inspector Zoe Smith said public officials, like all members of the community, should not be subjected to offensive or threatening online material. “People should not assume they can use social media to target, harass or intimidate others without consequence,” she said. “The internet is not an anonymous space. The AFP has the means to identify those responsible and ensure they are brought before the courts.”
AFP Cracks Down on Online Harassment of Politicians:
The case forms part of a wider pattern of investigations by the AFP’s National Security Investigations teams, which were established in late 2025 to address threats and harassment directed at federal parliamentarians and other high office holders. Authorities have repeatedly emphasised that while freedom of speech and political expression are protected, criminal behaviour-including threats and sustained online harassment-will not be tolerated.
Similar matters have seen residents across New South Wales and elsewhere charged in recent months over posts and videos targeting politicians. In several instances, search warrants have resulted in the seizure of electronic devices, and in some cases weapons or related items. Maximum penalties for the relevant carriage service offences range from five to ten years depending on the specific charge, such as threats to kill or cause serious harm.
AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett has previously highlighted the role of the specialised NSI teams in tackling conduct that undermines social cohesion, including the targeting of elected representatives. Police stress that online actions can have real-world consequences and that investigators possess the technical capacity to identify perpetrators even when accounts appear anonymous.
The man remains on bail ahead of his court appearance. The matter is ongoing, and further details are expected to emerge as the case proceeds through the justice system.