Teens face separate terror charges in Sydney and Melbourne
A boy from Melbourne’s inner city has been today charged with collecting documents promoting ISIS-inspired terrorism and importing a prohibited ISIS flag.
The Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team laid the charges following intelligence that an ISIS flag was destined for an inner-city address linked to the teenager. Police executed a search warrant at the property on 24 March, seizing a mobile phone and laptop for forensic examination.
The boy faces one count of collecting or making documents likely to facilitate a terrorist act under section 101.5 of the Criminal Code (Cth), which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment. He also faces one count of importing a prohibited item under the Customs Act 1901 (Cth).
He appeared in a Victorian children’s court today and was remanded to reappear at a later date. Authorities said there was no current identified threat to community safety.
The operation involved the Australian Federal Police, Victoria Police and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation through the Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team.
This comes as a 16-year-old boy from Sydney’s inner west was charged with multiple terrorism offences after he allegedly posted threats of extremist violence online and outlined plans for acts of violence.
The NSW Joint Counter Terrorism Team began investigating the teenager on 10 December 2025 after receiving reports of violent threats posted online. A search warrant was executed at his home the following day, where police allegedly found a flick knife and a gel blaster. He was initially charged with possessing an unauthorised pistol and a prohibited weapon.
Electronic devices seized during the search were later examined, leading to additional charges on Tuesday. These include one count of collecting documents likely to facilitate a terrorist act, two counts of making documents likely to facilitate a terrorist act, and two counts of possession of violent extremist material. Police allege the boy held a mixed ideology.
The teenager, who was bailed on the initial weapons charges in December, is due to appear in an NSW Children’s Court today.
The two cases involving teenagers in Melbourne and Sydney come on the same day and highlight the continued focus by joint counter-terrorism teams on young people allegedly accessing or creating extremist material.
In December 2025, a father and son carried out a mass shooting at a Chanukah gathering on Bondi Beach in Sydney, killing 15 people in an attack authorities described as motivated by Islamic State ideology. The pair displayed an ISIS flag and evidence indicated they had rehearsed tactics and sought links with the group overseas.
In April 2024, a 16-year-old boy stabbed Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel and several worshippers at Christ the Good Shepherd church in western Sydney. Police immediately classified the assault as a religiously motivated terrorist attack inspired by ISIS, with the offender shouting support for the group during the incident.
Such incidents highlight the persistent risk of lone-actor or small-cell extremism often driven by online radicalisation, even as counter-terrorism agencies continue to disrupt plots at an early stage.
The Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team routinely investigates extremist material. Anyone with information about possible threats is urged to contact the National Security Hotline on 1800 123 400.
