The arrest of Royal Navy Able Seaman Teddy Young on Tuesday in Bedfordshire sent shockwaves through the defence community. Young, who held a security clearance, was seized by counter‑terrorism police while at home and taken to Westminster Magistrates' Court on Thursday. The Crown Prosecution Service alleges he retained and translated confidential material into Russian, preparing to transmit it to a foreign power.
Young faces two charges under the National Security Act for accessing and holding protected UK defence and intelligence material while serving as a warfare intelligence rating. The alleged offences span from Nov. 26, 2024, to May 21, 2025, a six‑month period during which he allegedly plotted to share sensitive data.
Commander Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, called the charges "very serious" and said police had worked closely with the Ministry of Defence to mitigate any risk. She added that the investigation had been conducted with utmost caution.
Young is the first armed‑forces member to be charged under the 2023 National Security Act, a landmark application that underscores the government’s willingness to use the law against insider threats.
Police clarified that the allegations are unrelated to the RAF Fairford incident, where seven men were arrested and later released on bail for suspicious activity near the airbase.
He remains remanded in custody and is scheduled to appear at the Old Bailey on Oct. 16, where the case will be heard by the UK’s Central Criminal Court.