A school student has testified about falling down a social media rabbit hole that led him to planning to bomb the Sydney Opera House in a terrorist attack.
The 16-year-old boy, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, has pleaded guilty to planning a terrorist act over the course of more than a month in 2024.
In a sentencing hearing in the New South Wales supreme court on Tuesday, the teenager gave evidence about how he was gradually exposed to increasing levels of Islamic extremism online.
He first saw extremist material on TikTok in 2024 when aged 14 and became interested by accounts of conquests in previous centuries, the court heard.
“It was historical … the time of the Crusaders, empires a long time ago,†the 16-year-old told the court.
The aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and Islamic State propaganda were increasingly shown to him, and the videos also became more violent, the teenager said.
While he started to become more radicalised, he began communicating with other people on an encrypted app, Telegram, about his desire to learn about committing terrorism.
“Did you like talking to them?†asked the boy's barrister, Michael Valentin.
The teen replied: “Yes, I found it interesting … [they were] a new group of people, I was trying to relate to them.â€
The teenager said he then began researching how to target the Sydney Opera House with a bombing on one of its busiest days – the running of the Sydney Marathon.
The landmark serves as the finish line for the globally significant race, making it an ideal target for maximum impact on human life, the 16-year-old said. The idea came from watching videos about the 2013 Boston Marathon attack, where three people were killed and more than 500 were injured by two bombs planted at the finish line.
The teen agreed that he told someone online: “I am picking the location, places where lots of people and tourists are out.â€
“I will test and then do the operation, inshallah [God willing].â€
He said his justification for planning the attack was contained in a written message that said: “the country I am living in helped America evade [sic] Iraq and Afghanistan and killed many Muslimsâ€.
Despite his detailed planning, he said he was only “50/50†about whether he would actually carry out a bombing.
He spoke of having a “little voice†in his head trying to persuade him against committing terrorism.
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On Tuesday, the teen said he disavowed everything Islamic State stands for and held no extreme views.
“I'm deeply sorry for the things I did,†the boy told Justice Stephen Campbell.
“Please show me some remorse.â€
His lawyer urged for a non-custodial sentence, to enable the teenager to continue his deradicalisation in the community.
Having been on bail under strict home detention since November 2024, the teen has been allowed to attend events under his parents' supervision, including the Vivid festival and the Royal Easter Show.
“Clearly, we have before you a young man who … has seen the errors of his ways,†Valentin said.
“Thankfully he is now out of the rabbit hole.â€
Crown prosecutor Sophie Callan SC acknowledged the “candid†evidence of the teenager, but said there is no other appropriate possibility than a term in custody.
“There remains a level of naivety in expressions of insight … that would leave Your Honour with a degree of caution,†Callan said.
Campbell will deliver the sentence on 29 October.
