A 19-year-old Gold Coast man faced Southport Magistrates Court on 14 November 2025 after being charged with five offences relating to the alleged possession and sharing of violent extremist material.
The Pacific Pines man is accused of distributing violent videos and propaganda linked to a proscribed terrorist organisation to friends and family between January 2024 and April 2025.
AFP Assistant Commissioner Stephen Nutt said the rise in violent extremist material accessible to young people was deeply concerning.
“The AFP will not allow Australia to become immune to violent extremism in our community. Our top priority is to keep Australians safe from those who seek to do them harm.”
The Queensland Joint Counter Terrorism Team — comprising the AFP, Queensland Police Service (QPS) and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) — executed a search warrant at a Gold Coast home on Thursday (13 November 2025), seizing electronic devices allegedly containing violent extremist content.
It follows an earlier search of the same residence in April 2025, during which officers seized two mobile phones, a laptop and a handwritten diary. Police allege forensic examination of the devices uncovered videos depicting violence and propaganda produced by a proscribed terrorist group.
The man has been charged with:
- Four counts of using a carriage service for violent extremist material, contrary to section 474.45B of the Criminal Code (Cth)
- One count of possessing or controlling violent extremist material, contrary to section 474.45C of the Criminal Code (Cth)
Each charge carries a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment. Investigations into the seized digital material remain ongoing, and additional charges have not been ruled out.
He urged parents, schools, health and social services, and technology companies to play an active role in preventing access to such material and spotting early signs of radicalisation.
Queensland Police Service Assistant Commissioner Charysse Pond said the arrest demonstrated the strength of collaboration between national law enforcement and intelligence agencies.
“This arrest should give the community assurance and confidence that law enforcement is cooperating fully to identify and prevent threats within Australia.”
Authorities say signs a person may be vulnerable to radicalisation include withdrawing from family and friends, increased use of extremist rhetoric, hateful language, fixation on conspiracy theories
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