Teen walks free after sharing IS propaganda online and threatening shul
A teenager who published Islamic State propaganda online and threatened a Jewish congregation has been released from detention but will remain under strict supervision.
A teenager who published Islamic State propaganda online and threatened a Jewish congregation has been released from detention but will remain under strict supervision.
The teen sent a threatening email under the name ‘Adolf Hitler’ to the Melbourne Hebrew Congregation (X.com)
The 18-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was sentenced on Thursday after pleading guilty to counter-terrorism offences, including publishing extremist material and using a carriage service to make a threat to kill.
Police arrested the teen in May 2025 after he sent an email under the name ‘Adolf Hitler’ to the Melbourne Hebrew Congregation, claiming a shooter would attack the synagogue during Shabbat.
He was also charged after posting an Islamic State promotional video to Instagram showing several captives being executed, as well as photos of himself holding knives and machetes.
Supported by his parents, the 18-year-old was led into a courtroom on Thursday, where he smiled and waved.
The teenager’s defence lawyer told the court his client had a long road ahead, but his prospects of rehabilitation were positive.
“There is also a reflection of the impact that custody has had. It is not controversial that he has found it harder than a person of average health”, he said.
A children’s court magistrate handed the teen a 12-month supervision order with strict conditions, including weekly appointments with a forensic psychologist and no access to the internet unless supervised.
He was also banned from contacting or coming within 200 metres of the Melbourne Hebrew Congregation synagogue and from purchasing weapons.
The magistrate said the order was the highest punishment the court could impose outside detention.
“It is not in dispute that he should be released,” the magistrate said, noting the teenager had already spent 357 days on remand.
“Only so much can be done here. Nothing is going to be perfect.”
In handing down the sentence, the magistrate noted the teen lived with complex diagnoses, including autism, oppositional defiant disorder, ADHD and borderline cognitive functioning.
The case comes amid renewed concern in Victoria over youth offending and alleged antisemitic crime after prosecutors dropped 109 charges against a 14-year-old girl accused of targeting members of Melbourne’s Jewish community.
The girl had been charged over an alleged crime spree when she was 13. Police alleged some of the offending was antisemitic, including incidents in areas with large Jewish communities.
The charges were withdrawn after prosecutors were unable to rebut the legal presumption that a child under 14 cannot be held criminally responsible unless it can be proved they understood their conduct was seriously morally wrong.
Victoria Police said that was a high legal threshold and acknowledged the alleged incidents had caused concern, particularly within the Jewish community.
Police also alleged in court that the girl had searched “Where do Jews live (sic)” and “how long is the sentence for running someone over (sic)” after allegedly striking a cyclist.
Premier Jacinta Allan said she would not comment on the specifics of the case but described the alleged behaviour as “far from in line with community expectations”.
“It’s why we’ve toughened the bail laws,” Allan said. “It’s why we’ve introduced adult time for violent crime.”
The Victorian Government’s “adult time for violent crime” laws apply to children aged 14 and above who commit specified serious violent offences, allowing them to face adult sentences in adult courts.
Attorney-General Sonya Kilkenny said the government would strengthen consequences for young offenders while also working through its Violence Reduction Unit to reach at-risk children earlier.
“I will do everything to toughen consequences for young offenders to deal with the new types of offending that we have seen,” she said.
Deputy Liberal leader David Southwick, who is Jewish, said the dropped charges showed the justice system was failing victims and the Jewish community.
“We have a situation where a young person is let off for going around hunting Jews, trying to Google where they live – shows that the system is broken,” he said.
The 18-year-old sentenced on Thursday was previously charged by counter-terrorism police over separate offences in 2021, but that case was stayed in 2023 after a magistrate found officers had acted inappropriately.
Outside court, his parents told reporters they intended to launch legal proceedings against the Australian Federal Police, alleging the agency discriminated against their son because of his age and disability during the 2021 investigation.
“We have suffered,” the parents said.
The 18-year-old will return to court for judicial monitoring in May.
Lifeline 13 11 14
Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800, for people aged 5 to 25.
By Allanah Sciberras/AAP
