Hidden camera uncovered onboard an Australian navy ship

DAILYMAIL.COM • 2h ago

By ASHLEY NICKEL, NEWS REPORTER, AUSTRALIA 12:03 14 Oct 2026, updated 12:05 14 Oct 2026

A secret video recording device was found hidden in the women’s showers onboard an Australian navy ship, prompting an investigation by authorities.

Tasmanian Senator Jacqui Lambie revealed the disturbing incident to the federal Senate on Wednesday after she received an email from a former Navy member.

The device was discovered aboard the HMAS Leeuwin on Sunday while the ship was docked in Cairns in Far North Queensland.

The Australian Defence Force has confirmed that it is aware of the matter and has referred the incident to authorities.

Lambie’s source claimed that footage from the device was shared online before it was found.

‘How many of our female sailors have been recorded in their most private moments?’ she asked the Senate.

‘How much footage has been distributed so far… without knowledge or consent?

‘These are the questions I today ask Navy. It is out of the bag. It is out of the bag.

‘I want to know if they [Defence] have gone around on the rest of those boats, subs, whatever, and made sure there are no other cameras.’

A former veteran herself, the senator said that ADF members are now afraid that more recording devices have been hidden in private areas.

‘We are not sure if it’s come from contractors that come on them (the ships) or if it’s from Defence members,’ Lambie told reporters.

‘Trying to hide this away from the public? Typical. We are so sick and tired of cover-up when it comes to abuse in Defence.’

Greens leader David Shoebridge described the incident as ‘incredibly concerning’.

‘We know many women aren’t feeling safe inside Defence spaces, and again we say to Labor: you’ve got to restore faith with Defence personnel, you’ve got to make women and other people feel safe in Defence spaces,’ he said.

The Leeuwin remains docked in Cairns to enable the investigation and provide support to crew members onboard.

‘The incident was referred to the Joint Military Police Unit and Defence is working with civilian authorities,’ an ADF statement read.

‘Defence takes this incident extremely seriously and does not tolerate unacceptable behaviour in any form.

‘The ship remained alongside to enable the investigation and ensure immediate support was provided to members of the ship’s crew. The welfare of individuals remains Defence’s priority, and support is ongoing.

‘As the matter is currently under investigation and to protect the privacy of the affected individuals, Defence is unable to provide further comment at this time.’

The HMAS Leeuwin is a survey ship commissioned in 2000 and hosts a crew of 46.

Defence members can access 24/7 support at Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Response Office – 1800 SEMPRO (1800 736 776) and Defence All-hours Support Line – 1800 628 036

Family of 24-year-old mauled to death by tiger at Yorkshire zoo pay tribute to ‘bright young man’…

How traditional British surnames are dying out: Khan, Ahmed and Ali enter top 10 baby names and…

Civil servant used remote working to fraudulently hold down FIVE government jobs at the same time,…

Trump plucked Katie Zacharia from obscurity to be the new face of his White House. 15 excruciating…

IT specialist father-of-two, 42, named as man who plunged to his death from Six Flags Over Georgia…

Dad who fell to his death from Six Flags roller coaster levitated and made eye contact with other…

Pope Leo has lung cancer, Vatican confirms: Pontiff is diagnosed after operation

Michael Gove’s Oxford don ex-girlfriend is facing trial for possession of child abuse images

Four out of five new jobs went to foreigners in the past decade, new report reveals

AI ‘superchargers’ terrorism threat: MI5 chief delivers chilling warning that enemies will use tech…

Woman crushed to death by suicidal jumper from 11th floor in Japan – but he survives: Father demands…

Harry and Meghan are set to cash in on their royal connections like never before. They seem to think…

Parents who died alongside two of their children in ‘arson’ attack on their home are named – as…

London’s oldest restaurant, Rules, ‘where kings dined and politicians and writers plotted’, given to…

Driver crashed into grammar school head cycling home before dragging him ‘for over a mile’ then…

Hunt for ‘killer’ after couple and two children die in house fire – and two more youngsters fight…

Hidden camera uncovered onboard an Australian navy shipComments are subject to our House rules and TermsNewest{{#isModerationStatus}}{{moderationStatus}}

No one seems to have shared their thoughts on this topic yetLeave a comment so your voice will be heard first.

{{upVotes}}{{downVotes}}{{#replies.comments}}{{^isLast}}{{initials}}{{userAlias}}, United Kingdom, {{formattedDateAndTime}}{{message}}

{{upVotes}}{{downVotes}}{{/isLast}}{{#isLast}}{{initials}}{{userAlias}}, United Kingdom, {{formattedDateAndTime}}{{message}}

{{upVotes}}{{downVotes}}{{/isLast}}{{/replies.comments}}{{/replies.totalCount}}{{^replies.totalCount}}{{initials}}{{userAlias}}, United Kingdom, {{formattedDateAndTime}}{{message}}

{{upVotes}}{{downVotes}}{{/replies.totalCount}}{{/isComment}}The opinions and views expressed in the comments section are solely those of the individual users and do not represent or reflect the opinions, views, or positions of MailOnline. MailOnline does not endorse, support, or verify the accuracy of any user-generated content.Terms|Privacy|FeedbackOldest{{#isModerationStatus}}{{moderationStatus}}