Updated Feb. 10, 2026

Sydney barrister Mark Philip Dennis, a senior criminal lawyer and youth charity founder who had been charged over alleged child abuse material offences, has been found dead at his home, bringing the criminal case to an abrupt end.

Police said the 60-year-old was found dead at his unit in Leichhardt in Sydney’s inner west on Monday evening. A report will be prepared for the coroner.

Dennis had been arrested in January after returning to Australia from Cambodia, after being stopped at Sydney Airport. Investigators allege officers found an image involving a child and explicit sexualised communications with and about minors on his phone.

He was facing charges including allegedly possessing or controlling child abuse material obtained using a carriage service, transmitting such material, and a related import offence. He had been released on bail and had not entered any pleas. He was due to face court again on March 18.

With his death, it is expected the criminal proceedings will be discontinued at the next listed court date, as the prosecution can no longer proceed to test the allegations in open court.

Dennis was admitted as a lawyer in 1991 and had worked across criminal law. He was also the co-founder and chair of Reasonable Cause, a charity focused on supporting disadvantaged Cambodian youths through education initiatives.

Following his arrest, the Phnom Penh-based Cambodian Children’s Fund said it had ended a funding partnership with Reasonable Cause. The organisation said Dennis had visited a school in the Cambodian capital in 2022 in connection with a digital education project, which was later extended before being terminated after the allegations emerged.

For information on how Australian authorities respond to online child exploitation offences, readers can refer to the Australian Federal Police’s child protection guidance: Australian Federal Police child protection resources .