The Australian federal police have charged two Queenslanders after an adult allegedly encouraged a 14-year-old child to enter a restricted area by riding on a baggage carousel, according to an AFP statement.
The AFP will allege CCTV footage showed two men filming the child as he entered a secure area.
Police stopped a 58-year-old man and a 14-year-old child at Canberra airport on 9 July 2023 before their scheduled return flight to Queensland. A phone, allegedly containing footage of the incident, was seized for examination.
The two individuals were charged with entering a security restricted area at a designated airport through access control points.
Detective acting inspector Jon Horrocks said the AFP had zero tolerance for poor behaviour at airports, and that airport security was “no joke”.
“Restrictions exist to ensure the safety and security of the travelling public and workers,” he said.
“Canberra Airport Group, the AFP and industry partners take any security breaches at airports seriously and people can be prosecuted if they commit a criminal offence.”
The man is scheduled to appear before ACT magistrates court on 3 October 2023.
