Former journalist fronts Launceston court over alleged child abuse material charges
A former journalist and primary school teacher was arrested and charged with allegedly possessing child abuse material following a joint federal and state police operation.
Tasmania
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A Catholic primary school teacher and former journalist fronted court on Wednesday after he was arrested and charged with allegedly possessing child exploitation material.
Damien Brown, 44, was arrested and charged with allegedly possessing or controlling child abuse material obtained or accessed using a carriage service following a joint federal and state police operation.
Mr Brown, of Riverside, has not yet entered a plea to the charges and appeared at the Launceston Magistrates Court on Wednesday.
In an statement from police on Wednesday morning, a spokesperson said Mr Brown was arrested and charged after members of the Tasmania Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team (JACET), which includes the High-Risk Child Exploitation Unit (Tasmania Police) and the Australian Federal Police, executed search warrants at a private residence at Riverside on Tuesday.
Officers alleged devices containing child abuse material were located during the search.
Before becoming a teaching assistant and primary school teacher, Mr Brown was a former journalist for the ABC, The Mercury, The Advocate newspaper, and Seven News Tasmania.
Mr Brown is an intern teacher at St Thomas More’s, a Catholic primary school in Launceston.
Defence lawyer Abby Zizek applied for an adjournment of Mr Brown’s case without plea and made an application for bail which was unopposed by the DPP.
Magistrate Sharon Cure granted Mr Brown bail and adjourned proceedings until November 12 at 9.45am.
Originally published as Former journalist fronts Launceston court over alleged child abuse material charges
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