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The Canberra Times
The Canberra Times
National
Blake Foden

Alleged child sex offender identified as gag order expires

Archer Dunnicliff leaves court on Thursday. Picture: Blake Foden

A Belconnen teenager can now be identified as an alleged child sex offender after the expiry of a non-publication order that had prevented him being named.

Archer Fergus Dunnicliff, 19, was granted bail in the ACT Magistrates Court last month after being charged with two counts of possessing child abuse material.

At the time, magistrate Louise Taylor temporarily banned reporting of Dunnicliff's name after being asked to do so by federal prosecutors.

When the case returned to court on Thursday, prosecutor Alexander von Treifeldt told magistrate James Stewart there was "no need for [the non-publication order] to continue".

Through defence lawyer Stephanie Beckedahl, Dunnicliff pleaded not guilty to both charges and his case was adjourned for 10 weeks.

In a statement issued the morning after Dunnicliff's arrest, ACT Policing said the 19-year-old had come to the attention of authorities in February.

The ACT joint anti-child exploitation team began an investigation that month after receiving information about the alleged uploading of child abuse material to a file sharing platform.

The probe resulted in officers from that unit, and the police sexual assault and child abuse team, raiding a Belconnen home on May 6, when they seized eight electronic devices.

Police said all these gadgets - two laptops, two mobile phones, two USB storage devices, a tablet and a personal computer - were suspected to contain child abuse material.

Dunnicliff was subsequently arrested and kept in custody for three nights before being released on conditional liberty.

The bail conditions imposed by Ms Taylor included a prohibition on approaching schools, childcare centres and international points of departure.

Dunnicliff was also banned from accessing the internet unless he did so with a device approved by police.

Mr Stewart urged the 19-year-old on Thursday to be mindful of his bail conditions.

"The last thing you want is to be locked up for a breach of bail," the magistrate said.

Dunnicliff is due back in court on August 18.

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