Canberra teenager charged with additional terrorism offences, including planning an attack

A Canberra teenager has been charged by the ACT Joint Counter Terrorism Team (JCTT) with additional terrorism offences, including acts in preparation for a terrorist act.

The youth, 17, is the first person to be charged with planning a terrorist act in the ACT.

It is alleged the teenager was planning an attack on people not known to him, motivated by views aligned with nationalist and racist extremism.

The young person appeared in the ACT Children’s Court today (12 May, 2026), to face the following charges:

One count of acts in preparation, or planning for, a terrorist act, contrary to section 101.6 of the Criminal Code (Cth). The maximum penalty for this offence is life imprisonment; and
One count of transmitting violent extremist material, contrary to section 474.45B of the Criminal Code (Cth). The maximum penalty for this offence is five years imprisonment.

The ACT JCTT – comprising officers from the AFP, ACT Policing and ASIO – arrested and charged the youth on 5 November, 2025, after alleged violent extremist material was located during a search warrant. He has been remanded in custody since his arrest.

It will be alleged further evidence has been identified to support charges he shared violent extremist material and was preparing to commit a terrorist act.

AFP Assistant Commissioner Counter Terrorism, Peter Crozier, said it was alarming to see young Australians being exposed to violent extremist material and propaganda.

Read more: Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Police