AhlulBayt News Agency: A 16-year-old from Western Australia has admitted responsibility for posting violent threats online directed at a mosque in Sydney.
The teenager, whose identity is protected due to his age, appeared briefly in the Bunbury Children's Court on Friday, where he acknowledged his role in the incident, ABC News reported.
The case involves a series of alarming messages sent in early March to the Instagram account of the Australian Islamic House – Masjid Al-Bayt Al-Islami, located in the Sydney suburb of Edmondson Park.
Among the posts was a reference to “Christchurch 2.0,” invoking the 2019 terrorist attack in New Zealand where 51 people were killed during Friday prayers at two mosques in Christchurch. The posts also included white supremacist slogans and homophobic remarks.
Following a police investigation, authorities traced the online activity to the teenager’s home in Western Australia’s South West region. Officers executed a search warrant, during which they seized a mobile phone and a gaming console.
The teenager was subsequently charged with creating a false impression about the existence of a threat or danger.
During court proceedings, police prosecutor Sergeant Jane Gillham stated that videos of the Christchurch attack were found saved on the boy’s phone.
Magistrate Stephen Butcher told the teenager that his actions had instilled fear in a community already experiencing vulnerability. “These kinds of posts and ideas have no place in our society and they should be condemned,” the magistrate said.
The court ordered the teenager to participate in a diversion program designed to address violent extremism. His progress in the program will be reviewed before a final decision on sentencing is made.
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