A 20-year-old Acton man appeared in the ACT Magistrates Court on Saturday charged following an alleged sexual assault in April 2021.

The matter was first reported to police in August (2021) and a formal statement regarding the incident was received by police earlier last week.

Detectives from ACT Policing’s Criminal Investigations – Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Team executed a search warrant in Acton on Friday 17 September and subsequently charged the man with two counts of rape (sexual intercourse without consent).

The maximum penalty for this offence is 12 years imprisonment.

ABC News named the man as federal political staffer Alexander Matters, 20, who was working for ACT federal Labor MP David Smith, Member for Bean.

In a statement, Mr Smith said Mr Matters’s employment had been terminated “effective immediately”.

“My thoughts are with the woman who’s come forward at this time,” he said. 

“These are serious issues currently being dealt with by the appropriate authorities. It would be inappropriate to comment any further at this time.” 

The court heard Mr Matters is also a second-year law student at the Australian National University (ANU).

He has been referred for a mental health assessment.

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