A dance teacher has been arrested at Canberra Airport after Australian Border Force officers allegedly found child exploitation material on his mobile phone.
David Nery, 23, appeared in the ACT Magistrates Court on Monday, October 5, and is yet to enter pleas to two counts of possessing child exploitation material.
Border officers selected the Gordon man for examination on Sunday morning after he arrived on a flight from Bali.
After allegedly finding child exploitation material on his mobile phone, police were called to the airport and placed Nery under arrest.
Officers later searched his home and allegedly seized further illicit material on electronic devices.
In court on Monday, Legal Aid duty lawyer Gillian Bilton applied for bail on Nery's behalf, arguing strict conditions could manage any perceived risks to the community.
The court heard Nery has lived in Canberra since 2019 and teaches dance to children.
Ms Bilton said there was nothing to suggest Nery couldn't comply with bail conditions as she pointed to his lack of prior criminal history, his co-operation with officers at the airport, and his local family ties.
Prosecutor Phillip Hansen opposed bail, saying there was a risk of Nery committing offences in the community and failing to appear before the court when required.
He also raised concerns about Nery's contact with children through his role teaching dance in Canberra.
The court heard officers had seized a laptop, iPad, mobile phone, and two cameras during their searches, and are continuing to review cloud-based data.
Pointing to two videos allegedly containing child exploitation material and admissions Nery is said to have made at the airport, Mr Hansen argued the proposed bail conditions "don't address what goes to the heart" of the allegations.
Magistrate Heidi Robinson described the bail application as difficult, saying she was concerned about the early stage of the police investigation and the potential risk of Nery interfering with evidence.
However, she found that strict bail conditions could manage the risks and granted bail.
Nery's bail conditions require him to surrender his passport, report to police three times a week, not knowingly be in the presence of anyone under the age of 18 alone, adhere to internet and phone restrictions, and have no contact with current or former dance students.
"He is not to go to that dance studio at all," Ms Robinson said.
Police noted that additional charges may be laid following forensic examination of the seized devices.
