Royal Navy serviceman charged under National Security Act over protected information
Teddy Young, 24, appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Thursday accused of obtaining protected information and preparing to disclose it to a foreign power. Police did not name the power; The Times reports it is understood to be Russia.
A serving Royal Navy serviceman appeared in a London court on Thursday charged with offences under the National Security Act after a counter-terror investigation, police said. Teddy Young, 24, is accused of obtaining protected information and of preparing to disclose it for the benefit of a foreign power.
The two charges allege that between November 2024 and May 2025, Young, an able seaman serving as a warfare intelligence rating with high-level security clearance, obtained, copied, recorded or retained protected information intending it to benefit a foreign power, and engaged in conduct in preparation for committing an offence of disclosing protected information, the Metropolitan Police said. The charges were brought under sections 1 and 18 of the National Security Act.
"These are very serious charges against a serving member of the armed forces," Commander Helen Flanagan, the head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, said in a statement. She said counter-terror officers had worked very closely with colleagues in the Ministry of Defence as the investigation progressed so that appropriate measures could be taken to mitigate any potential risks.
These are very serious charges against a serving member of the armed forces.Commander Helen Flanagan, Counter Terrorism Policing
Police did not name the foreign power to which the charges relate. The Times reported that it understood the power in question to be Russia, and that the allegations include that Young translated a message into Russian, researched the dark web and sought out a web portal that invited people to submit information to Russia.
The Crown Prosecution Service said in a written summary of the allegations, seen by the Associated Press, that Young had accessed and retained sensitive British defence and intelligence material while serving as a warfare intelligence rating, and had engaged in activity consistent with preparing to pass protected information to a foreign power.
Young, who joined the Navy in April 2024, was arrested on Tuesday at his home in Clapham, Bedfordshire. He appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Thursday, spoke only to confirm his personal details, and was not asked to enter a plea. District Judge Annabel Pilling remanded him in custody to appear at the Old Bailey on 16 October.
Counter-terror police said the case is not connected to the separate investigation into the incident at RAF Fairford in September, which American officials have described as a possible Iranian drone attack.
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