Australian sprinter Jake Doran has been charged with a child sex offence following a police investigation in Townsville.
The 26-year-old was arrested on 13 October and charged with one count of indecent treatment of a child under 16. He was later granted bail and is due to appear at Townsville Magistrates Court on 5 November.
Queensland Police said the charge followed allegations involving children between January 2025 and September 2026. A police spokesman said detectives had arrested a 26-year-old man from Nelly Bay after “extensive investigations”.
Doran, who was raised on Magnetic Island near Townsville, represented Australia at the 2022 World Athletics Championships and Commonwealth Games.
That year he won the 100 metres at the Oceania Athletics Championships and the Australian national championships. He also won the 200m title at the Australian Athletics Championship in 2023.
Australian Athletics has imposed a provisional ban preventing Doran from attending club, member association or Australian Athletics events, as well as taking part in athletics training.
“Australian Athletics is aware that an athlete has been charged with a serious offence in Townsville,” the organisation said in a statement.
“Based on information provided to Australian Athletics, the organisation has imposed a provisional action on the athlete, prohibiting him from attending club, member association or Australian Athletics events, as well as banning him from participating in athletics training.”
The organisation said the safety and wellbeing of participants was paramount and that it took allegations of this nature seriously. It added that Doran had no paid or unpaid role within Australian Athletics and said it would make no further comment because the matter was now a police case.
