A man is facing charges for allegedly sending menacing messages to AFL player Izak Rankine.
According to police reports, the Adelaide Crows athlete received five threatening communications via social media on September 8.
Rankine promptly alerted law enforcement, leading to a thorough investigation lasting several months.
Yesterday, cybercrime detectives apprehended a 31-year-old suspect.
The individual, hailing from Kensington Gardens in Adelaide’s eastern suburbs, faces charges of offensive use of a carriage service.
He has been granted bail and is scheduled to appear in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on January 30.
The messages were allegedly sent four days after the Crows lost to Collingwood in this year’s qualifying final.
The star forward received a four-match suspension as a result of the incident, ruling him out of the Crows’ finals campaign.
The Adelaide Football Club has since shed further light on the situation, claiming two of its players were subject to “direct and significant threats on a social media platform”.
“Subsequently, reports were made to South Australia Police in September which prompted investigations,” the club said in a statement.
The AFL integrity unit has also been informed.
