A prominent criminal barrister who was allegedly caught with child abuse material has reportedly been found dead.
Mark Dennis SC stepped off a flight from South-East Asia at Sydney Airport in January and was stopped by Australian Border Force officers, who pored through his phone, tablet, laptop, and a USB.
They allegedly found child abuse material and sexualised conversations with and about minors, and he was subsequently charged with possessing, distributing and importing child abuse material.
On Monday after 7.30pm, police were called to his Inner West home where the barrister’s body was found, The Daily Telegraph reports.
The Daily Mail has contacted NSW Police for comment.
Australian Border Force officials intercepted Dennis at the airport in January and searched his luggage following ‘intelligence led screening’.
‘The matter was reported to the AFP for further investigation,’ the Australian Federal Police said in a statement on Wednesday.
‘AFP members attended and on further examination of the device, identified alleged child abuse material and sexualised conversations with and about minors.’
Barrister Mark Dennis SC (pictured), who was allegedly caught with child abuse material, has been found dead
Dennis was granted bail on January 22 this year
Along with seizing his electronic devices at the airport, a search warrant was executed at Dennis’ home in Leichhardt, in Sydney’s inner-west, where further electronic devices were seized.
The maximum penalty for the child abuse material charges is 15 years’ imprisonment.
Dennis was granted bail during a court appearance on January 21.
During the hearing, prosecutor Jon Kisch said he had had chats with at least two people that allegedly revealed a sexual interest in children, and showed a ‘willingness to subvert’ consent laws.
‘There’s a description of potentially a desire to rape a 16-year-old … I appreciate that’s as far as it goes, but certainly very disturbing chats.’
Dennis had been practicing out of the prestigious Forbes Chambers – Sydney’s top criminal law chambers – until his arrest on January 20, when his lawyer Michael Burke told the court his client would stop practicing law immediately.
Following his arrest, Dennis’ name and profile were scrubbed from the Forbes Chambers website.
Last month, the Daily Mail revealed Dennis used the moniker Dark Menace – a play on his name – as part of his work email address.
Australian Border Force officials intercepted Dennis (pictured) at Sydney Airport in January and searched his luggage following ‘intelligence led screening’
The alias was also used to publish a range of papers, including one about how to defend child sexual assault victims.
Dennis also co-founded the not for profit Reasonable Causes in 2020 to provide opportunities for disadvantaged Cambodians as young as six, but an online profile says he was travelling to Cambodia twice a year from 2010.
The Daily Mail understands he told colleagues about his philanthropic work with orphanages in Cambodia, saying he was helping install bathrooms and various facilities.
According to the Australian Charities and Not For Profit Commission, Reasonable Causes operated out of Cambodia, worked to improve the lives of locals from age six to 24, and partnered with a range of local children’s charities.
Reasonable Causes made about $242,000 per year, comprising about $108,000 in donations alone.
Cambodia Children’s Fund was one of the partner organisations that took funding from Reasonable Causes.
CEO Scott Neeson told the Daily Mail financial assistance from the organisation has now been rejected.
He said Dennis once visited their site in Phnom Penh, but never left the side of staff on site.
‘He was very firm and business-like,’ Mr Neeson recalled.
