Man charged over social media threats to federal parliamentarian

A man in Western Australia is facing a potential five-year prison sentence for allegedly threatening a federal member of parliament through social media. The Australian Federal Police searched the 29-year-old man's residence in Toodyay, located in Western Australia's Wheatbelt region, yesterday and conducted forensic examinations on multiple electronic devices.

Police stated that three cannabis plants and drug-related paraphernalia were also discovered at the residence. The man has been charged with three counts of using a carriage service to menace, harass, or cause offense, offenses that carry a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment.

Furthermore, he has been charged with two counts of possessing drug paraphernalia and one count of cultivating a prohibited plant. Authorities allege that the man issued the threats to the parliamentarian via social media between November and December of last year.

The man has been granted conditional bail by Western Australian Police and is scheduled to appear in Perth Magistrates Court on March 12. The Australian Federal Police have not yet disclosed the identity of the parliamentarian or the nature of the threats.