A serving member of the Royal Navy is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Thursday morning after being charged with two offences under the National Security Act 2023.
Teddy Young, 24, whose date of birth was given as 29 April 2002, was arrested at his home address in Bedfordshire on Tuesday 6 October. He was then taken into custody in London following an investigation led by Counter Terrorism Policing London.
The Crown Prosecution Service authorised the two charges on Wednesday 7 October. Both relate to alleged conduct between 26 November 2024 and 21 May 2025.
The first charge alleges that Mr Young engaged in conduct in preparation for committing an offence of disclosing protected information, contrary to section 18 of the National Security Act 2023.
The second charge alleges that, over the same period, he obtained, copied, recorded or retained protected information, intending the conduct to benefit a foreign power, while knowing – or where he ought reasonably to have known – that it was prejudicial to the safety or interests of the United Kingdom. The charge is brought under section 1 of the Act.
Counter Terrorism Policing London leads counter-terrorism investigations in the capital, working alongside MI5 and other partners on cases involving espionage and hostile state activity.
The National Security Act 2023, which came into force in December 2023, replaced large parts of the Official Secrets Acts with a modern framework for tackling espionage, sabotage and other state threats. Section 1 targets the obtaining or disclosing of protected information where the conduct is intended to benefit a foreign power, while section 18 criminalises preparatory acts linked to the disclosure of such information. Offences under the Act are among the most serious on the statute book, with the gravest carrying a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. It must be stressed, however, that these are charges only and the allegations against Mr Young remain unproven.
Commander Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, described the charges as “very serious” ones against a serving member of the armed forces. She said detectives had worked extremely closely with operational colleagues in the Ministry of Defence as the investigation progressed, so that appropriate measures could be taken to mitigate any potential risks linked to the matter. She added that speculation on the case should now be avoided, so that it can progress through the courts and the justice process is not impeded in any way.
Mr Young has been remanded in police custody and is expected to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 8 October. At a first appearance, the court will deal with the defendant’s identity, put the charges to him and consider questions of bail or further remand. Offences under the National Security Act are indictable-only, meaning they can only be tried in the Crown Court, so the case is expected to be sent to the Crown Court for a future hearing.
The Horseferry Road court regularly handles first appearances in major London cases, including the recent appearance of two Met officers charged with assault over an incident in Southall, and the charging of a Met sergeant following the Charing Cross investigation.
Police have confirmed that the arrest and the charges are not connected to the recent investigation into the incident at RAF Fairford.
The full charging announcement was published on the Metropolitan Police newsroom on Thursday morning.
The case is now live before the courts, and reporting restrictions apply.
Proceedings are now active under the Contempt of Court Act 1981, which means the strict liability rule applies to any publication that could create a substantial risk of seriously prejudicing the case. Only limited detail can therefore be reported until the trial concludes.
