Ex-King Island mayor Duncan McFie faces court over child exploitation material charge

The former mayor of King Island, Duncan McFie, has been charged with possessing child exploitation material. What a Hobart court has heard>

Former King Island Mayor Duncan McFie has been charged with possessing child exploitation material. Picture: David Geraghty/The Australian

The former mayor of King Island has been charged with possessing child exploitation material.

Alistair Duncan McFie, known as Duncan McFie, was the mayor of the King Island Council between 2014 and 2018.

He was later elected as the island’s deputy mayor in late 2022, filling a vacancy, until a re-election in November that year.

Cr McFie, 57, remains an elected member of the council, but has not attended a meeting this year and has been on a leave of absence since February.

Cr McFie, who has not yet entered a plea to the singular charge and who is on bail, appeared in the Hobart Magistrates Court on Monday.

Former Liberal Party leader Rene Hidding with former King Island Mayor Duncan McFie. Picture: Supplied

Following a request from his lawyer, Magistrate Glenn Hay granted him an adjournment until September 5.

Cr McFie, who lives at the small rural locality of Nugara at King Island, has been directed to enter a plea when he returns to court.

Mr Hay said if Cr McFie entered a plea of not guilty, the matter would then be heard in the Burnie Supreme Court.

According to court records, Cr McFie allegedly committed the offence on December 14, 2022, on King Island.

As stated on his website, Cr McFie, outside of his work on the King Island Council, is also a music teacher at the King Island District High School.

A picture of Duncan McFie promoting King Island Cloud Juice back in 1999.

He also launched his Nugara-based business King Island Cloud Juice in 1997, bottling King Island rainwater and apparently distributing it to exclusive restaurants in Paris and Spain.

It is unknown whether Cr McFie has been stood down from his state school position pending his court case.

The Tasmanian Department of Education, Children and Young People said it was unable to comment on the case.

However, a spokesperson said the department took all allegations of employee misconduct or inappropriate behaviour seriously, and had “processes in place to address any allegation”.

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Originally published as Ex-King Island mayor Duncan McFie faces court over child exploitation material charge