By Tony Ibrahim, ABC News
Police at Christ the Good Shepherd Church in Sydney after a stabbing earlier in April. Photo: AFP / David Gray
A 14-year-old boy trying to secure bail over terrorism-related charges appeared before the same court a fortnight earlier on gun possession charges.
He was the youngest of five juveniles taken into custody on Wednesday, as a joint counterterrorism team investigated what they labelled a "network" of people sharing a "similar violent extremist ideology", following a "terror act" at a western Sydney church last week.
The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared before the Children's Court in Parramatta on Thursday charged with possessing or controlling extremist material, with the prosecution alleging his mobile phone contained videos of beheadings produced by the Islamic State.
He has spent the last two nights in custody, as he waits for the outcome of a challenge to his release on conditional bail.
The court on Thursday heard the 14-year-old was already on conditional bail for separate offences.
Court documents show he appeared before the same court on 12 April charged with possess unauthorised firearm and possess unauthorised pistol.
He also faces five more charges related to assault and aggravated robbery.
The matter is ongoing and the boy has not been convicted of any offence.
A police officer outside the western Sydney church, where Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was stabbed during a service. Photo: AFP/David Gray
Bail approved, pending challenge
Police charged the 14-year-old with possessing or controlling extremist material, which has a maximum jail term of five years.
He appeared before the Children's Court in Parramatta to make an application for his release.
The court heard among the several video files on his phone were some which depicted people being run over by vehicles, and a cartoon advocating violence towards homosexual men.
Magistrate Paul Mulroney described the footage as depicting "the worst behaviour of humanity".
"He has material that is clearly violent, extremist material, material that is distressing, that is reprehensible," he said.
The magistrate approved the 14-year-old's application for bail with strict conditions, citing his youth, the lack of evidence suggesting the videos were distributed, and the support of his family.
"Fourteen-year-olds lack maturity, they have a considerably reduced capacity to consider the consequences of their behaviour," he said.
"A very reasonable perspective is that the young person has received it, has seen it, and has done nothing about it."
The bail conditions prohibit him from using a smartphone, contacting select individuals, and require him to live at home and see a psychologist.
However, his release has been delayed after the court heard the Acting Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions is appealing the decision.
- ABC
