Arabic version: مراهق يقر بالذنب بشأن التحضير لهجوم إرهابي في سيدني

According to ABC News, a teenage boy has pleaded guilty in the Supreme Court in Sydney to committing acts in preparation for a terror attack. The boy, who cannot be identified, told the court he had considered carrying out a mass attack in Sydney’s CBD motivated by Islamic extremism.

Federal police arrested the then 14-year-old at his Western Sydney home in August 2024. Officers found more than 40 videos containing extremist material on his computer. The court heard he had been exposed to extremist content on TikTok earlier that year and later consumed increasingly radical and violent material across various websites.

The court heard the boy researched target locations and attack methods for the purpose of detonating explosive devices. He discussed possible sites online, including the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Marathon, and showed interest in emulating the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombing. Court documents showed he tried to obtain instructions for making a pressure cooker bomb and attempted to contact the surviving man responsible for the Boston attack.

However, the court heard the boy had not taken steps to obtain materials to make a bomb or carry out an attack. He said he was “thinking about it” and was “50/50” on whether he intended to proceed before his arrest. He has since told the court he was de-radicalised, described ISIS as “absolutely horrifying” and said he was deeply sorry. The teenager remains on bail, is being homeschooled and has received religious counselling. He is due to be sentenced next month.