The Australian Federal Police arrested the teenager after raiding a home in Canberra late last year. Photo: Michelle Kroll.
While becoming radicalised by extremists, a teenage boy from Canberra began sharing horrific content with the aim of educating others about the Islamic State’s (ISIS) cause.
The Australian Federal Police raided the 16-year-old’s home in December 2024 and handed him one count of using a carriage service to access violent extremist material, which is a terrorism-related charge.
He stayed in custody for over eight months before walking into the ACT Children’s Court on Tuesday (2 September) wearing a thawb, a long garment often worn by men in Arabic countries.
He pled guilty.
He had been caught with a large number of violent ISIS videos, including showing people being killed, and had been making his own extremist content.
“They are extremely graphic, violent and depraved,” prosecution barrister Keegan Lee said of the files.
The court heard the teen wrote messages asking for a ‘martyrdom belt’ tutorial and wanting to do an operation as quickly as possible.
Also, when speaking about suicide bombing with an associate, he said he would blow himself up.
“I’d do it to win the war,” he said.
Mr Lee said this conversation showed the depth of his radicalisation, which was relevant to his dangerousness and the need to protect the community.
Forensic psychologist Ahu Kocak, who has a Masters in Terrorism and Security Studies, said the now-17-year-old was a Muslim man with a very strong commitment to his faith.
He told her he had become increasingly frustrated that mainstream sources were not comfortable discussing the concept of violent jihad. When he approached people at his mosque to talk about this concept, they shut him down, which made him more inclined to research it himself.
Ms Kocak said the teen was attracted to the utopian concept of an Islamic caliphate and told her he shared the extremist material in the hopes of educating others about the perceived legitimacy of ISIS’s cause.
“He thought he was contributing positively to Islam,” she said.
He told her he was uncomfortable about how ISIS killed Muslim civilians, but rationalised their deaths as mistakes committed during the greater good of establishing a caliphate.
The now-17-year-old, who legally cannot be named, was sentenced in the ACT Children’s Court. Photo: Michelle Kroll.
The teen said jihad was one of the best things you can do and can offer you paradise, but Ms Kocak said this was a very literal understanding he had during his offending that had changed over time.
“He understands from his mentoring that there are many, many layers to this concept, it’s not just what ISIS and others portray,” she said.
“He said he now understands ISIS is not a legitimate group, that its practices are fundamentally against Islamic practices.”
Ms Kocak said the teen had a traumatic upbringing and undiagnosed Autism at the time of his offending, with the latter meaning he had the propensity to interpret matters literally.
She agreed with Mr Lee that the teen was susceptible to being “sucked in” to this sort of world.
Ms Kocak said the teen needed to be educated on how he could meet his spiritual and social needs in a different way and would require ongoing support in his life.
He taught himself Arabic and was interested in Islam, chemistry and war history.
Jon White SC, the teen’s barrister, said his client was young, impressionable, suffered a particularly unfortunate background and his undiagnosed Autism meant he had been bullied and socially excluded.
He said his client had engaged in a more nuanced interpretation of his religion since going into custody.
Magistrate James Stewart said a recognisance release order, which allows an offender to remain in the community, would promote the teen’s rehabilitation while allowing him to be supervised by authorities.
He sentenced the teen to such an order, which would last for two years from Tuesday.
The teen must abide by a range of conditions, including attending rehabilitation programs as directed and surrendering his passport. Also, he cannot study chemistry, possess most chemicals or travel interstate without obtaining permission.
After the teen was released from custody on Tuesday, he was seen giving his mother a long-lasting hug.
He is legally unable to be named as he is under 18.
Magistrate Stewart said he would publish the reasons for his sentence in October.
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