Former Australian sprint champion charged with child sex offence

By James TugwellABC North QldTopic:Law, Crime and JusticePosted Thu 22 Oct 2026 at 11:57amThu 22 Oct 2026 at 11:57amJake Doran has been banned from attending club events by Athletics Australia. (Supplied)Australian sprint champion Jake Doran has been charged with a child sex offence.The 26-year-old from Magnetic Island off Townsville was arrested last week after a police investigation into alleged indecent treatment of children between January 2025 and September 2026.Mr Doran has been charged with one count of indecent treatment of a child under 16.He was granted bail in Townsville Magistrates Court.Australian Athletics banAustralian Athletics said in a statement that based on information provided, it had imposed a provisional ban on Mr Doran, preventing him from attending club events or participating in athletics training."The former international athlete has no paid or unpaid role within Australian Athletics," a spokesperson said."The safety and wellbeing of all participants in our sport is paramount, and we take all allegations of this nature very seriously."Jake Doran was arrested in Townsville. (Instagram)Mr Doran is Australia's equal ninth fastest 100m sprinter with a personal best time of 10.15 seconds.He made the semifinal at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in 2022.He previously won two national titles and represented Australia at two world championships.Mr Doran's social media accounts and LinkedIn have recently been deactivated.The case will return to court on November 5.