13yo alleged extremist a victim of 'big tech', court hears

13yo boy facing violent extremism charges ordered to stand trialBy James C TaylorABC Wide BayTopic:CourtsPosted Wed 28 Oct 2026 at 2:38pmWed 28 Oct 2026 at 2:38pmThe boy appeared in the Maryborough Childrens Court on Tuesday. (ABC Wide Bay: James Taylor)In short:A 13-year-old Maryborough boy charged with violent extremist offences has been denied bail.His thoughts of harming Jews, Muslims and children had abated since being in custody, the court heard.What's next?The magistrate said the boy remained a public health risk and ordered him to stand trial.A boy charged with planning a violent school attack has been described in a Queensland court as a victim of "big tech" and online extremists.The 13-year-old was arrested in May after extremist material was allegedly found on electronic devices at his home in Maryborough, about three hours north of Brisbane.He appeared via video link in the Childrens Court at Maryborough yesterday for a bail application and committal hearing.Police prosecutor Senior Constable Nick Jones tendered evidence including documents seized from Australia Post and a text file referred to as a "manifesto", school records and CCTV video from a service station where the boy was arrested after allegedly threatening a staff member with a knife.Police were called to a Maryborough service station after receiving reports of a person with a knife. (ABC News: Olivia Nunes-Malek)The prosecution also added two new Commonwealth charges of possessing or controlling extremist material and using a carriage service to access it.The boy was earlier charged with state offences of planning to cause death or grievous bodily harm and possessing or controlling violent extremist material obtained via carriage service.Defence barrister Clem van der Weegen said the boy should be released because his mental health had improved since his arrest.Mr van der Weegen told the court that prior to his arrest, the boy had been "hoisted in his bedroom, exposing himself to online material … staying up late, drinking caffeine".But he said while in custody the boy had been diagnosed as likely meeting the criteria of depression, social anxiety disorder and internet gaming addiction.After his arrest, the boy told a police officer he "is no longer completely convinced of his previous negative impression of Jews, Muslims or children, and ideas to harm any of these groups was ever justified", Mr van der Weegen said.The boy had told a psychiatrist that while speaking with the police officer "I realised how stupid that sounds, to hate those people, do those things", the court heard.The psychiatric report found the boy had shown insight into his violent thoughts after internet access was denied in custody.Mr van der Weegen said it showed the impact that online radicalisation had caused his client, saying the social media ban for children launched in December 2025 had come too late to protect the boy."Let's not forget, he is 13," Mr van der Weegen said."This has been going on for years and now the government has decided it needs to put the brakes on."Unfortunately, kids like my client have become victims themselves to big tech and the purveyors of this appalling material that kids had access to on the internet."Magistrate John Milburn refused bail, saying any improvement to the boy's mental health did not outweigh the risk to the public.He ordered the boy to stand trial before a jury in the Childrens Court of Queensland at Maryborough, on a date yet to be determined.