Man charged with sending Sydney race riot texts

POLICE have charged a man with sending offensive text messages inciting violence linked to Sydney’s recent race riots, detectives said yesterday.

The 33-year-old man the first to be charged under federal law for sending messages linked to the unrest via mobile phone faces a maximum three-year sentence if convicted. Police said they expected to arrest more people who wrote or forwarded such messages in the coming days.

Police said in a statement that the suspect forwarded two messages to several people calling for them to meet at two southern Sydney beaches last Sunday a week after thousands of white Australians rioted there, attacking people of Middle Eastern appearance.