A 13-year-old boy in Queensland, Australia, has been charged with two extremism-related offenses for allegedly plotting to kill primary school children and creating "massacre stories" using artificial intelligence. The boy, whose identity is protected by law, was arrested in June following an investigation into his alleged extremist views and online activities.
According to court documents from a bail application hearing, the teenager allegedly told police he had wanted to kill people for months and was inspired by school shooters and mass murderers. He also claimed to have purchased items from an online retailer and visited a service station with the intent of targeting children he believed were easy to harm. When children were not present, he allegedly attempted to steal a vehicle to proceed with his plan to attack a primary school.
During a police search of the boy's home, authorities reportedly found a video of the Christchurch terrorist attack. He allegedly expressed an interest in the "adrenaline rush" of witnessing violence and killings associated with certain ideologies, and admitted to holding "neo-Nazi white supremacy views." The court documents also indicate he expressed disdain for people of dark skin, Jewish people, and Muslims, and had read the manifestos of infamous mass killers.
Authorities allege the boy used AI in April to generate a note titled "The Albert Massacre," believed to refer to Albert State School in Maryborough. He also reportedly used AI to create "mass shooting stories," including one that described a scenario similar to the Bondi Beach shooting but set in Queensland during a festival attended by Jewish and Black people. In this generated story, the shooter was depicted as a neo-Nazi, mirroring descriptions of Vladislav Roslyakov, the perpetrator of a 2018 school attack in Russia.
The teenager was initially cautioned by police after an incident on May 28 at a Maryborough service station, where he was reportedly wearing a face mask and carrying a knife, and allegedly threatened an employee. Two days later, a counter-terrorism investigation was initiated, leading to his arrest and charges. The charges include preparation or planning to cause death or grievous bodily harm and possessing or controlling violent extremist material accessed via a carriage service.
A magistrate initially refused the boy bail. This decision was upheld by the Supreme Court this week. Justice Peter Davis stated in his ruling that the risk of harm to the public justified the refusal of bail, noting the boy had allegedly threatened violence against his mother and considered harming his sister. The court heard that the boy had become a "radicalised recluse" in his family home and appeared "obsessed with mass killings."
The boy was involuntarily admitted to Children's Hospital Brisbane on June 4 under the Mental Health Act and remains there. His next court appearance is scheduled for September.