Teen facing 30 extremist charges after FBI tip-off

A Queensland teen allegedly operated several social media accounts to post extremist material that supported violence against migrants and people of both Islamic and Jewish faith.

Federal investigators say they were tipped off by the FBI about an Australian who was posting extremist content on social media advocating for violence and referencing terrorist attacks, leading to the teen’s arrest.

Police raided a home in Warner, north of Brisbane, in May and seized several devices they will allege were used to commit the crimes.

The 18-year-old, was charged with 28 offences related to posting extremist material online, one count of using a carriage service to menace or harass, and one count of possessing child abuse material.

He has been remanded in custody since May 27, and will face a Pine Rivers Magistrate on Friday.

Spokespeople from both the AFP and the FBI have lauded the arrest, which they said came from a memorandum of understanding signed by the agencies.

“As our adversaries become more agile across borders in the online space, so must we as law enforcement and intelligence agencies,” the FBI’s Ryan Maxwell said.

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