The 36-year-old is set to appear before a court on December 30 after being arrested in April, with the alleged offence being committed in March, reports The Telegraph.
The details of the alleged offence cannot be reported on due to legal reasons. Earlier this month (December) it was reported that an unnamed former Premier League footballer had been arrested at an airport in front of fellow passengers after returning to the UK.
Following his charge, police have now confirmed that the individual was Andy Carroll.
The former England international was stopped at a passport control point as his details showed he was wanted by police, according to The Sun.
An Essex Police spokesman said: “A man has been charged with breaching a non-molestation order.
“Andrew Carroll, 36, of Epping, was arrested on April 27 and the alleged offence relates to an incident in March.
“He is due to appear at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on December 30.”
A non-molestation order is a civil court injunction, primarily intended to stop an individual from approaching another person, a specific address, or both. On the basis of circumstances, breaching such an order is a criminal offence that can lead to a prison sentence of up to five years.
The 36-year-old striker, who was a regular in the Premier League for 15 years and one-time record-signing, scored 11 goals in 42 appearances for Reading but opted to move to France after suffering relegation to League One in 2023.
Carroll returned to English football this summer after signing for National League side Dagenham and Redbridge following a stint at French club Bordeaux.
Last month, according to The Telegraph, he was fined for filming an anti-immigration protest on his phone whilst driving as hundreds of people were outside the Bell Hotel in Epping after an asylum seeker, Hadush Kebatu, living there was charged with sexually assaulting a teenage girl. Kebatu was later jailed.
Carroll pleaded guilty and was ordered to pay £1,052.