Royal Navy member to appear in court on spying charges

LONDON (AP) — A serving member of the Royal Navy will appear in a London court on Thursday to face charges of spying for an undisclosed foreign power.

Teddy Young, 24, has been charged with two offenses under the National Security Act, including preparing to disclose protected information between November 2024 and May 2025, London’s Metropolitan Police Service said. During the same period, Young allegedly obtained, copied, recorded or retained protected information for the benefit of a foreign power.

Young has been in police custody since he was arrested on Tuesday at his home in Bedfordshire, north of London. He will appear at Westminster Magistrate’s Court in central London on Thursday.

“These are very serious charges against a serving member of the armed forces,” Commander Helen Flanagan, head of counter terrorism policing in London, said in a statement. “We have worked extremely closely with relevant operational colleagues within the Ministry of Defense as our investigation has progressed to ensure appropriate measures could be taken to mitigate any potential risks linked to this matter.”

Police said the charges weren’t related to the recent security alert at RAF Fairford, a British air base from which U.S. bombers have launched strikes against Iran. Three suspicious vans were discovered near the base in the early morning hours of Sept. 27, triggering an investigation that has led to the arrest of seven men.

Young was previously arrested on May 21, 2025, and released on bail pending further investigation. His security clearance was suspended at that time and he was removed from his duties.

The Royal Navy issued a statement acknowledging the arrest of a service member.

“As legal proceedings are ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage,” the navy said.