A member of the British Royal Navy is set to appear in a London court on Thursday to face charges of espionage for an undisclosed foreign entity. Teddy Young, aged 24, faces two charges under the UK’s National Security Act, involving the preparation to disclose protected information between November 2024 and May 2025, according to London’s Metropolitan Police Service.
Young is accused of acquiring, duplicating, recording, or retaining protected data for the benefit of a foreign power during the same period. He has been under police custody since his arrest at his residence in Bedfordshire, located north of London on Tuesday. Young is scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in central London on Thursday.
Cmdr. Helen Flanagan, who leads counterterrorism policing in London, described the charges against the navy member as severe. The authorities collaborated closely with the Ministry of Defence during the investigation to manage potential risks associated with the case.
The charges against Young are unrelated to the recent security incident at RAF Fairford, a British airbase used for U.S. bomber operations against Iran. The discovery of three suspicious vans near the base on September 27 led to the apprehension of seven individuals.
Young was previously arrested on May 21, 2025, and later released on bail pending further inquiries. His security clearance was revoked, and he was relieved of his duties at that time. The Royal Navy confirmed the arrest of the service member and refrained from commenting further due to the ongoing legal proceedings.