Police charge Qld Young Australian of the Year with possessing child exploitation material
Jarib Branfield-Bradshaw started a youth centre in Cunnamulla. (ABC Western Qld: Hannah Walsh)
In short:
Police have charged youth support officer and Queensland's Young Australian of the Year, Jarib Branfield-Bradshaw, with eight counts of possessing child exploitation material.
The Paroo Shire Council worker was recognised for his work with young people in the community of Cunnamulla in outback Queensland.
What's next?
He is due to appear in Cunnamulla Magistrates Court in April.
Queensland's Young Australian of the Year is facing charges relating to child exploitation material after an investigation of his work and personal devices.
Jarib Branfield-Bradshaw — a 22-year-old council youth support officer in the south-west Queensland town of Cunnamulla — was charged with eight counts of possessing child exploitation material.
Police said they launched an investigation last month after a video and images were allegedly discovered on two work devices belonging to Mr Branfield-Bradshaw.
Investigators allege more child exploitation material was found as they examined his personal devices.
Jarib Branfield-Bradshaw was recognised in November as the Young Australian of the Year for Queensland. (Supplied: Salty Dingo)
Mr Branfield-Bradshaw was named the 2026 Young Australian of the Year for Queensland in November.
He was recognised for his work in founding a youth neighbourhood centre in Cunnamulla.
He has previously received the 2024 Darling Downs Child Protection Award, the 2025 Queensland Family and Child Commission Contribution to Community or Family Safety Award for First Nations People, the 2025 Woolworths Bush Champions title of Young Champion, and was an ABC Heywire 2026 winner.
Jarib Branfield-Bradshaw received a 7NEWS Young Achiever Award for his work with the community in Cunnamulla. (Supplied)
Mr Branfield-Bradshaw is due to appear in the Cunnamulla Magistrates Court next month.
The assistant minister to the prime minister, Patrick Gorman, has said in a statement that "the allegations against the 2026 Queensland Young Australian of the Year are serious and are currently a matter for the Queensland Police".
"While the decisions on individual award recipients and the maintenance of those awards remains a matter for the National Australia Day Council, I have asked the interim Chief Executive Officer of the Council, Mr Todd Ashurst DSM, to monitor closely as these charges make their way through the courts."