LAGOS, Nigeria. (Voice Of Nigeria) A 16-year-old boy has pleaded guilty in an Australian court after admitting that he researched plans for a potential mass-casualty terror attack in Sydney, including possible targets such as the Sydney Opera House and the city’s marathon.
The teenager, who cannot be publicly identified because of his age, pleaded guilty to committing acts in preparation for a terrorist act during a sentencing hearing at the New South Wales Supreme Court on Tuesday.
According to ABC News, the boy was 14 when Australian Federal Police arrested him at his Western Sydney home in August 2024. Investigators subsequently found more than 40 videos containing extremist material on a computer at the property.
The court heard that the teenager had become increasingly interested in Islamic extremist material after first encountering such content on TikTok in 2024.
What began as online exposure reportedly developed into communication with other people interested in extremist ideology and research into potential targets and methods for carrying out an attack.
According to evidence presented during the hearing, the teenager considered several possible locations in Sydney where a large number of people and tourists would be present.
The Sydney Opera House emerged as one of the locations discussed, while the Sydney Marathon was also considered because of the large crowds attending the event.
The Guardian, reporting from the court proceedings through Australian Associated Press, said the teenager researched the possibility of carrying out a bombing at the Opera House during the marathon.
The court heard that he had been influenced by material relating to previous terrorist attacks, including the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing in the United States.
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The Boston attack, in which two brothers detonated homemade pressure-cooker bombs near the marathon finish line, killed three people and injured hundreds of others.
Australian prosecutors told the court that the teenager had searched online for information about bomb-making and attempted to obtain instructions for constructing a pressure-cooker explosive device.
However, investigators found no evidence that he had acquired the materials required to build a bomb.
The teenager also reportedly communicated with other people through Telegram, an encrypted messaging platform, about terrorism and extremist ideas.
During the hearing, he described himself as having become increasingly radicalised after being exposed to violent material online.
He told the court that he had shared extremist content with others partly because he wanted to impress them and fit in with a group.
The court heard that his online activity became progressively more serious as he moved from consuming extremist propaganda to discussing possible targets and methods of attack.
At one point, the teenager reportedly told another person online that he was choosing locations where large numbers of people and tourists would be present.
Despite the extent of his research, the teenager told the court that he was uncertain about whether he would actually carry out the proposed attack.
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He described himself as being “50/50” about going ahead with it when he was arrested.
His defence team argued that his actions reflected the behaviour of a vulnerable young person who had become trapped in extremist online communities rather than someone firmly committed to carrying out a terrorist attack.
The defence also pointed to what it described as significant changes in the teenager since his arrest.
According to ABC News, the teenager has since undergone religious counselling and a process of deradicalisation while living with his parents under strict bail conditions.
He is currently being homeschooled and is expected to return to mainstream education.
The teenager told the court that he no longer supports Islamic State and described the extremist organisation as horrifying; he also expressed regret for his actions.
“I’m deeply sorry for the things I did,” he told the court during the hearing.
His defence lawyer described him as a young person who had recognised the consequences of his actions and had moved away from extremist thinking.
However, prosecutors have argued that the seriousness of the conduct should not be overlooked simply because the planned attack was never carried out.
The prosecution has urged the court to impose a custodial sentence, arguing that there must be consequences for preparing to commit an act of terrorism.
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The court heard that the teenager had spent time in custody following his arrest before being released on bail.
He has remained under strict conditions since November 2024.
Those conditions have included home detention and restrictions on his movements, although he has been permitted to attend selected public events under the supervision of his parents.
The case has renewed attention in Australia on the role of social media and encrypted communication platforms in the radicalisation of young people.
Security agencies have increasingly warned that teenagers can be exposed to extremist propaganda online without necessarily having direct contact with established terrorist organisations.
The Australian Federal Police have previously highlighted the difficulty of identifying young people who move rapidly from consuming extremist material to discussing potential acts of violence.
The case also comes amid broader security concerns in Australia following a series of terrorism-related investigations in recent years.
Authorities have continued to monitor extremist activity online, particularly where individuals demonstrate an interest in weapons, bomb-making or attacks on crowded public locations.
For the teenager at the centre of the latest case, the next major stage will be sentencing.
Justice Stephen Campbell is expected to deliver the sentence on October 29; the teenager remains on bail under strict conditions until then.
The case has highlighted the potentially serious consequences of online radicalisation, while also raising questions about how authorities, families and technology companies can identify vulnerable young people before extremist ideas develop into plans for violence.
