Royal Navy sailor faces charges over alleged foreign-power spying

A serving Royal Navy sailor has been charged with obtaining protected information allegedly intended to benefit an unnamed foreign power, British police said. Authorities said the case is not connected to a separate counterterrorism investigation involving RAF Fairford.

Able seaman Teddy Young, 24, from Bedfordshire, faces two offences under the National Security Act. He was arrested at his home on Tuesday, remanded in custody and is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.

The charges cover alleged conduct between Nov. 26, 2024, and May 21, 2025. One alleges that Young prepared to commit an offence by disclosing protected information. The other alleges that he “obtained, copied, recorded or retained protected information” intending to benefit a foreign power.

According to the wording of the charge reported by the BBC, prosecutors also allege that Young knew, or ought reasonably to have known in light of other matters known to him, that the conduct was prejudicial to the safety or interests of the United Kingdom. Authorities have not named the foreign power.

“These are very serious charges against a serving member of the armed forces,” said Commander Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Policing London.

Flanagan said investigators had worked closely with colleagues at the Ministry of Defence as the inquiry progressed “to ensure appropriate measures could be taken to mitigate any potential risks linked to this matter.”

A Royal Navy spokesperson confirmed that a service member had been charged but declined to discuss the case further. “As legal proceedings are ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage,” the spokesperson said.

Police specifically ruled out a link between Young’s case and the investigation at RAF Fairford. The BBC reported that the airbase inquiry followed reports of suspicious activity near the base and had resulted in several arrests. A seventh man was arrested in connection with that incident on Tuesday, the BBC said. Counterterrorism police continue to investigate it.

Young’s case concerns allegations of preparing to disclose protected information and obtaining or retaining it with the alleged intention of benefiting a foreign power. No foreign country was identified in the accounts of the charges. He remains in custody ahead of his scheduled court appearance.