An 18-year-old Brisbane man reappeared in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on 11 September 2025, charged with two counts of possessing or controlling violent extremist material.
The man, from The Gap, allegedly stored a video and a document linked to proscribed terrorist organisations on his electronic devices.
The Queensland Joint Counter Terrorism Team (JCTT) – comprising the AFP, Queensland Police Service (QPS) and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation – executed a search warrant at his home on Tuesday (9 September).
Officers seized electronic devices containing large volumes of data, books linked to nationalist and racist violent extremism, as well as chemicals and precursors.
He has been charged under section 474.45C of the Criminal Code (Cth) 1995, which carries a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment. Investigations into the seized material are continuing, with further charges not ruled out.
AFP Assistant Commissioner Stephen Nutt warned that extremist groups are increasingly targeting vulnerable young people online. “The AFP believes extremist groups are targeting vulnerable and young individuals online for radicalisation, as they are more susceptible to being influenced,” he said.
“We urge parents, carers, family and friends to speak out if they see any signs of radicalisation in people they are close with.”
QPS Acting Assistant Commissioner Heath Hutchings commended the joint investigation, stressing the agencies’ commitment to community safety.
Authorities have urged families and educators to be alert to warning signs of radicalisation, including increased engagement with extremist rhetoric, withdrawal from loved ones, fixation on conspiracy theories, or excessive time spent in fringe online forums.
The AFP said a priority remains reducing access to violent extremist material, while pushing for greater accountability from internet service providers and social media companies to remove such content.
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