WHAT WAS CLAIMED
Facebook pages are spreading news stories about Ben Roberts-Smith.
OUR VERDICT
False. The stories are fake.
AAP FACTCHECK - Ben Roberts-Smith has not wept in court or released a video related to an alleged outback murder, despite claims on social media.
The fabricated stories about the former SAS soldier also feature AI-generated images.
The posts are being shared by several disinformation pages operated from Vietnam that routinely pump out fake news about Australian public figures.
Each post includes a link in the comments to a website strewn with ads.
One post claims Roberts-Smith "burst into tears" in a courtroom following his arrest at Sydney Airport.
"I am not guilty, I did not do that, I have been wronged," the post quotes him as saying.
It features purported images of police arresting the 47-year-old and escorting him through an airport terminal and another of him sitting in a courtroom witness box.
The story, quote and images are fabricated.
The Victoria Cross recipient was arrested on April 7, 2026, and charged with five counts of the war crime of murder during his deployment in Afghanistan.
He was granted bail on April 17.
While his lawyers were present at his bail hearing, Roberts-Smith appeared via videolink from Silverwater prison, AAP reported.
Despite the claims in the post, there are no credible reports that he was in the courtroom, that he wept or that he made the statement attributed to him.
The image showing Roberts-Smith being escorted through the airport terminal doesn't match authentic arrest footage released by the AFP.
This shows the former corporal getting off a plane before being immediately escorted away by officers.
Instead, the social media images of Roberts-Smith's arrest and courtroom appearance are AI-generated.
A Google Images search reveals they contain a digital watermark confirming they were "Made with Google AI".
Garbled text is also visible in the background of the courtroom image, a common error in synthetic images.
The remaining image is a photo of Roberts-Smith on duty in Afghanistan, published by The Age in 2019.
Another Facebook post claims Roberts-Smith publicly released a "brutal video" found on the phone of Jefferson Lewis, the man accused of murdering Kumanjayi Little Baby.
It also claims the former soldier spoke out about the alleged footage at Lewis's court hearing.
It features purported images of police escorting Lewis outside the court and of him sitting in court.
The claim and photos are also fabricated. Lewis had not appeared in court in person or via videolink at the time the post was made.
He was due to appear in the Alice Springs Local Court via videolink on May 5, 2026, but he was excused at his lawyer's request.
There are no credible reports that Roberts-Smith released any video related to the case, attended the May 5 hearing or made any of the statements attributed to him.
The images also contain a digital watermark confirming they were "Made with Google AI".
A plaque in the background of the AI image of Lewis outside the courthouse inexplicably reads: "AUSTRALIAN COURT DA NANG VIETNAM".
The text on the police officers' badges is garbled and nonsensical, a common feature of AI images.
The disinformation campaign has also invented a fake feud between 7News Spotlight journalist Liam Bartlett and Roberts-Smith.
One post claims Mr Bartlett dismissed the alleged murder of Kumanjayi Little Baby as "just another normal incident" and "not worth making such a big fuss over".
It then claims Roberts-Smith publicly condemned the comments.
Both statements are fabricated. There are no credible reports or records of the remarks.
Another post claims Mr Bartlett publicly criticised Roberts-Smith during an Anzac Day commemoration, prompting a response from the former SAS soldier.
In an article linked in the comments, Roberts-Smith is quoted as saying: "Respect is earned in silence, not demanded in noise. I served so you could speak freely today."
However, there are no credible reports or evidence that Mr Bartlett spoke at any official Anzac Day event or made those comments.
While Roberts-Smith did attend an Anzac Day service on the Gold Coast, there's no evidence he made the remarks in the post.
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