Melbourne’s inline hockey community in shock after grand final MVP and international player charged with child abuse material offences
Benjamin Robert Monteith, a decorated international inline hockey player and recent grand final MVP, has been charged with possessing child abuse material. The 37-year-old Australian was arrested in March by JACET (Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team) following investigations into alleged offences between July 2022 and May 2025. This case has shocked the inline hockey community, where Monteith was respected both in Australia and New Zealand.
Monteith, from Kensington in Melbourne's inner north-west, won the MVP award for the GoPlay Bushrangers at the Australian Club Championships Winter Classic in November 2024 before moving to New Zealand in 2025, where he played for The Dolphins and won a Sportsmanship Award. He is alleged to have stored child abuse material on a data storage device. The federal taskforce found no evidence suggesting anyone at the team or championships was aware of his alleged offending, nor that it was connected to his hockey pursuits. Monteith appeared in Melbourne Magistrates' Court this month with bail extended, and will appear again at a later date.
- Decorated inline hockey player charged with child abuse material offences.
- Won grand final MVP before arrest in March 2026.
- Bail extended; court date to be set.
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Benjamin Robert Monteith was a prominent figure in Australian inline hockey, a sport played with wheeled boots on hard courts rather than ice skates. The 37-year-old from Melbourne was highly respected in the sport, winning the MVP award at the Australian Club Championships in November 2024 whilst playing for the GoPlay Bushrangers.
Monteith has been charged with possessing child abuse material relating to alleged offences spanning from July 2022 to May 2025. He was arrested in March following investigations by JACET, Australia's federal law enforcement taskforce dedicated to combating child exploitation.
The charges have shocked both the Australian and New Zealand inline hockey communities, where Monteith had earned recognition for his skills and sportsmanship. Investigators found no evidence that anyone at his teams or competitions was aware of his alleged offences, nor that it was connected to his sporting activities.