Royal Navy sailor accused of spying for Russia appears in court

A junior Royal Navy intelligence specialist from Bedfordshire accused of trying to pass military secrets to Russia appeared in court on Thursday.

Teddy Young, 24, was accused of abusing his high-level security clearance to access secret defence and intelligence data after being deployed on a warship.

The navy rating was also said to have made efforts to contact Russian authorities directly, drafting a message in Russian containing classified information that he hoped to pass on.

Young was arrested at his home in Bedfordshire on Tuesday after an investigation by Counter Terrorism Policing London (CTPL). He was charged with offences under the National Security Act, the Metropolitan police said.

The intelligence specialist was first arrested in May last year. At that point he was suspended and relieved of his duties, and was on gardening leave until his latest arrest. He is the first member of the British armed forces to be charged under the National Security Act 2023.

Young appeared at Westminster magistrates court wearing a grey navy tracksuit and spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth and address in the village of Clapham, near Bedford. No application was made for bail, though the district judge made clear it would be denied.

Annabelle Pilling, presiding, told Young: “On the basis of the information I have already read, there are substantial grounds to believe that if granted bail you would not come back to court and that you would make efforts to avoid further court appearances and would commit further offences.”

Young was remanded in custody to appear before a specialist judge at the Old Bailey on 16 October.

The Crown Prosecution Service said between 26 November 2024 and 21 May 2025 Young engaged in conduct in preparation for committing an offence of disclosing protected information.

It is also alleged that in the same period he obtained, copied, recorded or retained protected information, intending the conduct to benefit a foreign power.

Commander Helen Flanagan, the head of CTPL, said in a statement issued before the court appearance: “These are very serious charges against a serving member of the armed forces.

“We have worked extremely closely with relevant operational colleagues within the Ministry of Defence as our investigation has progressed to ensure appropriate measures could be taken to mitigate any potential risks linked to this matter.”

A Royal Navy spokesperson said: “A member of the Royal Navy has been charged with National Security Act offences following an investigation by Counter Terrorism Policing London. As legal proceedings are ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage.”

The arrest and charges are not connected to the recent investigation into an incident at RAF Fairford.