A former NT ICAC staffer has been fined for disclosure of information on Snapchat. 

A 23-year-old woman has pleaded guilty to one count of unauthorised disclosure of information in the Darwin Local Court this week. 

She was employed as an executive assistant to the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption, Michael Riches, in March 2022.

“The defendant in her work … is entrusted with access to official corporate mail received by the office of the ICAC NT,” the prosecutor told the court.

On May 31, the woman was found to have opened a piece of mail sent to the ICAC office which included a letter written by an inmate at the Darwin Prison addressed to Mr Riches.

“Sometime before midday the defendant … used the Snapchat application and made a boomerang video which captured part of the letter,” the court heard. 

“Shortly thereafter the defendant posted the video as a story on her Snapchat social media account … [which] included detail viewable to approximately 100 to 150 people.”

On June 3, police spoke to the woman and seized her phone, but the video had been automatically deleted by the app.

She later attended the Palmerston police station and admitted to the disclosure of information and was issued a notice to appear.

The prosecution said the offence was a serious breach of trust. 

“There's been a detrimental effect to the reputation and integrity of ICAC due to the defendant's conduct,” the prosecutor said.

But they found no signs that there was any danger or compromise caused by the breach, or that the woman gained any advantage.

He has since resigned from her position.

Judge David Woodroffe said he acknowledged the offence had caused “some personal cost and deep regret”, and that she had accepted responsibility.

“I also have regard that there are 29 character references that talk about your honesty, your integrity, your professionalism up to this moment in time,” he said.

“You have an extraordinary and impressive work history for someone so young.”

She was fined $5,000, with no conviction recorded and will also have to pay a victim's levy of $150.