Teen walks free after sharing IS propaganda online
The teenager who posted Islamic State propaganda online and threatened a Jewish community has been released but will remain under close surveillance.
The 18-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was sentenced on Thursday after admitting counter-terrorism offenses including publishing extremist material and using a transport service to make threats to kill.
Police arrested the teenager in May 2025 after he sent an email to the Melbourne Hebrew Congregation under the name Adolf Hitler, claiming the attacker would attack the synagogue during Shabbat.
He was also charged after he posted an ISIS promotional video on Instagram showing the execution of several prisoners, as well as photos of himself holding a knife and a machete.
With the support of his parents, the 18-year-old was led into the courtroom on Thursday, where he smiled and waved.
The teenager’s defense lawyer told the court that his client had a long road ahead of him and that the prospects for rehabilitation were positive.
“There is also a reflection of the impact of this detention. It is indisputable that he finds this more difficult than a person of average health,” he said.
A juvenile court judge gave the teenager a 12-month supervision order with strict conditions, including a weekly appointment with a forensic psychologist and a ban on accessing the internet unless supervised.
In addition to purchasing weapons, he was also banned from contacting or being within 200 meters of the Melbourne Hebrew Community synagogue.
The judge said the decision was the highest sentence the court could impose other than detention.
The judge stated that the young man had already been detained for 357 days and said, “There is no debate that he should be released.”
“There’s only so much that can be done here, nothing will ever be perfect.”
In handing down the sentence, the judge noted that the teenager lived with complex diagnoses, including autism, oppositional defiant disorder, ADHD and borderline cognitive functioning.
The teenager had previously been charged with separate offenses by counter-terrorism police in 2021, but the case was adjourned until 2023 after a magistrate found officers had acted inappropriately.
Outside court, the parents told reporters they planned to take legal action against the Australian Federal Police, claiming the agency discriminated against their son’s age and disability during the 2021 investigation.
Parents said, “We were victimized.”
The 18-year-old young man will appear in court in May for judicial follow-up.
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