Police charge man over menacing conduct

A 22-year-old Iranian man is scheduled to face Bankstown Local Court today (11 September 2019) after allegedly harassing two victims with menacing phone calls and messages.

On 16 February 2019, one of the victims reported to New South Wales Police that an unknown man was making threatening calls and sending harassing messages to her.

The matter was referred to the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and further investigation led police to suspect a personal mobile phone the man had in his possession at the Villawood Immigration Detention Centre was used to facilitate this activity.

It will be further alleged that the 22-year-old man sent further harassing messages from this mobile phone to another victim in March 2019, threatening her and her family with violence.

Yesterday, 10 September 2019, AFP officers executed a search warrant at the man’s room in Villawood Immigration Detention Centre. A number of mobile devices were seized during the warrant and will be subject to further forensic analysis.

The man was arrested and charged with two counts of using a carriage service to menace, harass or offend, contrary to section 474.17 of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth). The maximum sentence for these offences is three years imprisonment.

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