Teenager faces youth justice court over 'pro-Nazi' Instagram posts

In short:

A Northern Territory teenager has faced court charged with 13 Commonwealth offences relating to the possession, access and control of violent extremist material and a further count of possessing an imitation firearm.

The material allegedly included videos of the 2019 Christchurch terror attack as well as white supremacist attacks in the United States, including one "featuring a tachometer amended to look like Adolf Hitler".

What's next?

The boy will return to court next month.

A Northern Territory teenager who allegedly posted "pro-Nazi, anti-immigration, anti-trans and white nationalist" content on Instagram over the course of almost a year has faced court over a string of alleged Commonwealth offences.

The boy, who cannot be identified, faced the Youth Justice Court this week charged with using a carriage service to menace, harass or offend as well as accessing or possessing violent or extremist material online.

In January this year, according to a charge sheet obtained by the ABC, the boy allegedly accessed a video "featuring a tachometer amended to look like Adolf Hitler".

A tachometer measures the revolution of a spinning object and features on the dashboard of most cars.

The boy also accessed footage of a 2017 "white supremacist terrorist attack" in Charlottesville, Virginia in the United States, where white supremacist James Alex Fields Jr deliberately drove his car into a crowd of people, killing 32-year-old Heather Heyer and injuring more than two dozen others. Fields later pleaded guilty to 30 hate crimes over the attack.

Four days later, the boy allegedly "possessed or controlled" a video of a livestream of the 2019 New Zealand mass terror attack made by Brenton Tarrant, the Australian man who was later convicted of murdering 51 people at two Christchurch mosques.

The boy also stands charged with possessing or controlling a video of a livestream of another terrorist attack in New York state, in which Payton Gendron recorded himself killing 10 black people at a Buffalo supermarket in 2022.

Among a total of 14 charges, police allege the teenager possessed an "imitation firearm with silencer and magazine" in May.

In announcing the boy's arrest in May, Australian Federal Police Counter Terrorism Commander Paula Hudson said investigators "worked tirelessly to disrupt anyone who attempted to possess or distribute violent extremist material".

"Early intervention is key to ensuring individuals are disrupted and our community is kept safe," Commander Hudson said.

"Criminal behaviour or actions which advocate hatred, fear, violence and humiliation, and attempt to erode Australia's social fabric will not be tolerated.

"Those who engage in this unlawful activity will be investigated and brought before the courts."

The boy has been granted bail and will return to court on October 26.