Australian Man Accused of Spreading 10,000 ISIS Propaganda Files
A 65-year-old Melbourne resident faces terrorism charges for allegedly distributing extremist material online over a five-year period.
Authorities in Australia have charged a 65-year-old Melbourne man with offenses related to terrorism, accusing him of pledging allegiance to the Islamic State group and distributing approximately 10,000 files of extremist propaganda online between 2015 and 2020.
The man, an Australian citizen whose name has not been released, faces charges of membership in a terrorist organization and transmitting violent extremist material via an unnamed encrypted messaging application. The maximum penalty for these offenses is 10 years imprisonment.
Australian Federal Police allege the man's digital transmissions included content related to executions, torture, and Islamic State group propaganda. The materials also reportedly contained information on evading law enforcement detection and instructions for planning mass casualty attacks.
Acting Assistant Commissioner Paula Hudson stated that the volume and distribution of the material position the man as a "principal distributor of ISIS propaganda within the group." She added that the content glorified violence and terrorism, aiming to radicalize others.
An investigation into the man commenced in 2020 when border officials examined his luggage as he prepared to depart Australia for Egypt. He has not been linked to any specific attack or plot, and authorities are not aware of any travel abroad since 2020.
This arrest marks the seventh in Victoria state since May related to the possession or distribution of Islamic State content online. The federal police have not confirmed whether this case is connected to the other six arrests.
Earlier in September, a 30-year-old Melbourne man was arrested and charged with possessing violent extremist content while attempting to leave Australia for the Middle East. Authorities allege he was part of an online group chat with five other men arrested in May, who face charges concerning extremist material, including IS propaganda.
The Islamic State group, though significantly diminished in territory since a U.S.-led intervention in 2019, continues to inspire attacks and maintain active cells. In Australia, authorities allege a mass shooting at a Hanukkah event in 2025, which resulted in 15 deaths, was motivated by the shooters' alleged IS affiliations.
Estimates suggest that between 2012 and 2019, approximately 200 Australians traveled to Syria and Iraq to join the Islamic State group, with dozens more providing support or planning attacks within Australia.