Growing number of teen terrorists plotting mass shootings, race wars online

Counter-terrorism squads across the country fear more children than ever are being radicalised online, and plotting horror acts — and the youngest on their watchlist isn’t even a teenager yet.

A 12-year-old child is among dozens of kids on a federal watchlist that patrols a growing number of young people watching violent extremist content and propaganda online.

New intelligence, released by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) on Friday, shows that counter-terrorism teams have investigated 37 kids under the age of 17 in the past four years.

The youngest of those was 12 years old.

Authorities have charged more than half of that group with state or federal terror-related offences.

Among the children who have been probed by federal authorities since January 2020 is a now 19-year-old boy who allegedly planned to carry out a shooting spree at his former high school, a university bombing, train derailment and police shootings.

His identity has been suppressed for his own safety, but the Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court heard last month that he allegedly wrote that “all Jews should be gassed” and “some women deserve to be raped” on school lockers when he was in year 9.

Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court in Melbourne’s southeast. Picture: Wayne Taylor

The FBI had tipped off Australian authorities about the teenager, who got hold of a gun and had allegedly stored videos of the Christchurch mosque shooting, ISIS propaganda and content that “idolised” the Buffalo and Columbine school shooters.

In another case, a 16-year-old boy who was part of a hundreds-strong online network posted pictures and videos calling for a “race war” that would eliminate non-white people to “defend the white race”.

The teen posted on Telegram about mass offshore killings and live-streaming a shooting on Facebook, as well as asking for help with making a bomb and commending mass shooters.

The AFP charged him with advocating terrorism and urging violence against members or groups before he was sentenced to 14 months’ jail.

He has since been released into the community under strict control orders and has participated in deradicalisation programs.

Almost 40 teenagers are under investigation for terror-related activity online.

Meanwhile, another 14-year-old boy who was found to have had a “strong admiration” for terrorists posted about his plans to carry out a mass shooting at his own high school on Snapchat.

Police raided his home, where they uncovered a ballistic helmet, a tactical vest and extremist drawings.

Intelligence showed he had a strong hatred of Asian and Aboriginal people.

That boy was charged with using a carriage service to make threats and advocating terrorism.

He was sentenced to a two-year good behaviour bond and a year’s probation before taking part in de-escalation programs.

The two Australian teens’ terror plots were revealed in an analysis put together by authorities across the Five Eyes nations – Australia, the United Kingdom, the USA, New Zealand and Canada.

The Five Eyes is an alliance between the countries designed to allow them to share intelligence.

Federal investigators say they are becoming increasingly concerned about the same extremist videos surfacing across a string of unrelated investigations underway by Joint Counter Terrorism Teams across the country.

Investigators have uncovered a swath of terror instruction manuals, hate speech and far-right extremist material on social media such as Discord, Instagram, Roblox and TikTok.

The content is also often found on chat forums and end-to-end encrypted messaging apps, such as Telegram and Signal.

Terrorists often use inflammatory content to influence young people on social media.

Alarming materials analysed by counter-terrorism teams often show visual imagery of violence designed to “heighten an emotional response from their followers and often used to incite group action, violence or terrorism”.

AFP Counter Terrorism and Special Investigation Assistant Commissioner Stephen Nutt said the worrying content was being uploaded by other young people and could have serious ramifications for the wider community.

“We are seeing more children accessing extremist material and this increases the risk of those children being radicalised and joining terrorist organisations, or engaging in acts of terrorism,’’ he said.

“Police believe extremist groups are targeting vulnerable and young individuals online for radicalisation, as they are more susceptible to being influenced.

“We know that these extremists are preying on children in the same way that child sex offenders attempt to groom children.”

Family and friends of young people at risk of adopting dangerous ideologies have been urged to keep an eye on their behaviour.

The 19-year-old’s matter continues before the courts.