A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade officer has been arrested and charged with possessing and using a carriage service to access child abuse material. Alexander Chapuis, 42, faced the ACT Magistrates Court on Thursday, where he did not enter pleas to the charges.
The court heard that Chapuis, a federal public servant with two decades of experience, was granted bail on conditions including restrictions on internet use and the surrender of his passports. His solicitor, Peter Woodhouse, was seen holding a white envelope containing the passports to be handed to the court registry.
ACT Policing arrested Chapuis following a referral from the Queensland Police Service regarding an internet account sharing child abuse imagery. Investigators seized devices from his home on Wednesday.
Magistrate Amy Begley specified that the possession charge relates to data held on a computer. Details of the alleged crimes were not disclosed in open court. The case is scheduled for March, when Chapuis may be excused from attending if legally represented.
