Teenager admits planning proposed bombing at Sydney Opera House

A 16-year-old school student has pleaded guilty to planning a terrorist act involving a proposed bombing at the Sydney Opera House during the 2024 Sydney Marathon, according to evidence reported by The Guardian World. The teenager cannot be identified for legal reasons. During a sentencing hearing in the New South Wales Supreme Court, he said he first encountered extremist material on TikTok at age 14. The content initially focused on historical accounts, but he said it later progressed to videos involving the September 11 attacks and Islamic State propaganda, including increasingly violent material. He told the court that he subsequently communicated through Telegram with people he described as extremists while seeking information about terrorism. He then researched the Opera House as a possible target during the Sydney Marathon, when the landmark would serve as the race’s finish line and large numbers of spectators and tourists would be present. The teenager said videos about the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing influenced the choice of location. That attack killed three people and injured more than 500, according to the court evidence reported by The Guardian. He also acknowledged writing online about selecting crowded places and carrying out an operation, using the phrase “inshallah.” The court heard that his stated justification involved Australia’s support for the United States in Iraq and Afghanistan and alleged deaths of Muslims. However, he said he was only “50/50” about whether he would actually proceed and described an internal voice discouraging him from committing the attack. The teenager has been on bail under strict home detention since November 2024. His lawyer argued that he should receive a non-custodial sentence so he could continue a deradicalisation process in the community. The teenager told the court that he rejected Islamic State’s beliefs, no longer held extreme views and was deeply sorry. The Crown prosecutor acknowledged his candid evidence but argued that a custodial sentence was necessary, citing what she described as continuing naivety in his expressions of insight. Justice Stephen Campbell is scheduled to deliver the sentence on 29 October.