Exposed: Disturbing TikToks of Queensland’s out-of-control teen car thieves

Anonymous social media accounts glorifying Queensland’s youth crime crisis have emerged with videos of teen car thieves driving recklessly. SPECIAL INVESTIGATION

Dedicated social media pages glorifying South East Queensland’s youth crime crisis containing footage of children stealing sports cars, driving recklessly and taunting police have emerged.

Viral footage posted from the pages include vision of youths wearing balaclavas and gloves inside stolen cars, and photos of them mocking their victims.

It comes after Hemmant man, Michael Warburton, 59, became the fifth Queenslander to die in less than two years after being the victim of a crash involving juveniles in allegedly stolen vehicles.

Dedicated anonymous profiles with videos glorifying Queensland's youth crime crisis have emerged on TikTok.

The Courier-Mail investigated anonymous TikTok accounts called @Brisbanecrime and @Brisbanes_youthcrime, which have posted several videos of youths posing next to cars with captions of “F--- the police”, while others are accompanied with song lyrics including “running from the boys in blue”.

Many videos were shared with hashtags like #creepinwhileyasleepin and #north$ide and #southside while others contained snippets of news bulletin reports on youth crime.

University of Queensland criminology expert Professor Lorraine Mazerolle said it was too easy for glory-seeking criminality to be posted online and remain online.

Prof Mazerolle stressed that it was about five per cent of the “hardcore” young people which were causing about 80 per cent of the crime.

She said videos had the largest audience within the first 24 hours of being posted.

“These videos have to be rapidly taken down, the quicker you can get these videos removed, the less impact they have,” Prof Mazerolle said.

“If it’s removed two weeks later, that’s a waste of time.

“Police are powerless to deal with the transmission of electronic glorification.”

Dedicated anonymous profiles with videos glorifying Queensland's youth crime crisis have emerged on TikTok.

Minister Youth Justice Leanne Linard said any celebration of anti-social behaviour was completely unacceptable.

Ms Linard said the community was right to take deep offence from juveniles or adults flaunting illegal behaviour online.

“One of the big problems is the sharing and amplifying of these posts,” Ms Linard said.

“Police are trying to shut these posts down so they are not celebrated. Do not reward illegal and bad behaviour.”

Acting Police Minister Mark Furner said it was distressing to see youth offenders putting Queensland lives at risk.

“I am always appalled when I hear of young people brazenly engaging in criminal acts,” Mr Furner said.

“This is why last year we introduced the toughest youth bail laws in the nation, so that we could target serious repeat offenders.”

According to Queensland Police data, 6873 unlawful use of a motor vehicle charges were laid against Queensland children between October last year and September.

Dedicated anonymous profiles with videos glorifying Queensland's youth crime crisis have emerged on TikTok.

Of these, 1671 offences were laid in the Brisbane police region, and 9116 in the South Eastern region, which encompasses Logan and Gold Coast.

The statewide number is a 23 per cent increase on the same period in 2020-21, where 5557 car theft offences were laid against juveniles.

Queensland Police Service said in a statement that it actively monitors emerging crime trends including the use of social media to facilitate or promote criminal behaviour.

“Police are working with external agencies and the eSafety Commissioner for more action to be taken by social media platforms to address the issue of young people glorifying crime by posting their dangerous antics online,” the statement read.

Fellow academic Dr Nadine McKillop said there was notoriety to be gained for young people with “likes, comments and endorsements” there for the taking.

The University of the Sunshine Coast criminology expert said social media amplified the bad behaviour and created a “concerning” trend of copy cats.

Dr McKillop said impressionable youths tended to get “caught up in the moment” and not consider any consequences.

“They want the notoriety,” Dr McKillop said.

“Seeking that notoriety escalates to a point where youths feel the need to follow through or rise up to the occasion.

“You see it in knife crime or group fights, that egging on mentality creates a follow through that maybe wouldn’t have happened.”

Dedicated anonymous profiles with videos glorifying Queensland's youth crime crisis have emerged on TikTok.

Opposition spokesman for Police Dale Last said the videos were proof juvenile offenders had no fear of the law.

“The carnage that the youth crime crisis is causing is spreading further and further throughout the state every day. One of the main reasons for that is the lack of consequences that young offenders face,” he said.

“Some of these offenders know the law inside out and, due to weak legislation, they know exactly what they can and can’t get away with and, if arrested, they know exactly what to say.”