Teens the first to be charged under new NSW ‘post and boast’ laws aimed at cracking down on online crime videos

Two teens are the first to be charged under new post and boast laws aimed at cracking down on youth stealing cars and uploading their crimes to social media.

Two teenagers are the first to be charged under radical new laws targeting youth posting their crimes online, after allegedly stealing luxury cars from western Sydney and uploading footage of the thefts to social media.

Wayne Robertson, 18, and another teen, 15, will face court this week charged with ‘posting and boasting’ on social media, while another youth, 17, was also charged as part of the alleged crime spree.

The new post and boast laws were ushered in last month as part of a $26.2 million NSW Government crackdown on youth crime, following investigations by The Daily Telegraph which revealed regional NSW residents were “living in fear” over youth crime.

The Telegraph’s investigation into youth crime also highlighted the prevalence of youth videoing their own crimes and posting their exploits on social media like Meta’s Facebook and TikTok.

The vehicles allegedly stolen and dumped at Doonside. Picture: NSW Police

As part of the new charges being used, police will allege two luxury vehicles – a 2022 BMW and a 2017 convertible Ferrari – were stolen from a property on the Old Northern Road at Dural in the early hours of Tuesday last week.

The two vehicles were found dumped on Perigee Close in Doonside shortly before midday where they were seized for forensic examinations.

At about 2am Friday another vehicle – a Mazda CX-9 – was allegedly stolen from a property at Constitution Hill, with a short police chase taking place before it was called off.

The Mazda was later spotted abandoned by Polair at Northmead, with the dog unit descending on the area shortly after and finding the three teenagers where they were arrested.

The 15-year-old was charged with breaching bail as well 15 counts of break and enter offences and 14 counts of stolen vehicle offences.

He was also the first person charged under the new post and boast laws. He was refused bail on Saturday and will appear at Parramatta Children’s Court on Tuesday.

The 17-year-old was charged with aggravated break, enter and steal and be carried in conveyance without consent and was refused bail to appear at Parramatta Children’s Court this Friday.

The vehicles allegedly stolen and dumped at Doonside. Picture: NSW Police

Robertson was charged with aggravated break, enter and steal and be carried in conveyance without consent and given conditional bail, before he was rearrested later on Friday and charged with a further 12 counts of aggravated break and enter offences, 10 counts of stolen vehicle offences and posting and boasting.

He was formally refused bail to appear at Parramatta Local Court this Wednesday.

It’s understood police will allege that when they went through the phone of Robertson they found evidence which led to him being charged under post and boasting laws.

He is due to face Parramatta Local Court on Wednesday.

Detective Superintendent Darren Newman. Picture: Julian Andrews

Detective Superintendent Darren Newman said police were targeting the “growing phenomenon” of crimes being posted to social media, with the arrests coming under specialist Strike Force Sweetenham.

“NSW Police will use all available powers at our disposal to arrest and prosecute offenders. If you post and boast about motor vehicle theft or break and enter offences, you will face an additional two years in jail,” he said.

“We are aware of a growing phenomenon of offenders posting their criminal behaviour on social media, particularly in stolen motor vehicles. Offenders need to know there are serious consequences for this sort of behaviour.”

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