Two Men Charged After Allegedly Using Triple J Unearthed App To Carry Out Prison Attack

A 45-year-old inmate inside a maximum-security prison has sustained a “superficial injury” to his neck and was allegedly attacked by another inmate – who NSW Police allege used a “chat” function on the triple j Unearthed app to organise the attack. Two men aged 44 and 28 have been charged in relation to the alleged incident.

NSW Police claimed that the triple j Unearthed platform was used to recruit an inmate inside the Goulburn Correctional Centre to carry out a stabbing against another inmate.

While the triple j Unearthed app and website don’t actually contain a “chat” function, NSW Police allege that the men consistently edited an artist’s biographical information to communicate.

ABC reports that NSW Corrective Services disabled keyboard functionality so inmates could browse the ABC website (and other news websites). However, a glitch allegedly led to inmates typing and creating profiles on Unearthed. The men reportedly used prison-issued iPads with pre-loaded, pre-approved apps to make contact.

State authorities have been using Raptor Squad, NSW Police’s force that targets organised and serious crime, to investigate the alleged assault of an inmate in prison. The alleged attack happened on 17 February.

In a statement, NSW Police told ABC, “Police will allege in court the older man used an FM Radio website chat function to communicate his instructions to coordinate the stabbing, which the younger man carried out for money.”

The 44-year-old man has been charged with recruiting others to assist in “carrying out criminal activity,” knowingly and recklessly directing a criminal group to assist in a crime, and assault that leads to “actual bodily harm and affray.”

Meanwhile, the 28-year-old has been charged with “using an offensive weapon to commit an indictable offence” and participating in a criminal group to contribute to assault that resulted in “actual bodily harm and affray.”

The men are in custody and will appear in court in February 2025.