BRISBANE — A Queensland teenager was found not guilty on Thursday of carrying out acts in preparation for a terrorist act. The jury in the Supreme Court in Brisbane returned the verdict after two days of deliberation.

The 17-year-old had pleaded not guilty to one count of the charge. His identity cannot be disclosed for legal reasons. In July 2024, the teen, who was about to turn 16 at the time, rode a scooter around Brisbane suburbs to purchase materials prosecutors alleged were for explosives, including nails, metal pipes, and other ingredients.

Crown prosecutor Sally Flynn alleged the teenager's goal for a bombing campaign was to draw attention to his argument that humanity had declined due to modern industries and technology. The court heard the teen used his iPhone and laptop to search for "where is Peter Dutton located." The alleged plan involved bombings intended to oppose the Liberal party’s policy of building multiple nuclear power stations in Australia.

During the trial, the jury viewed text messages, online posts, and handwritten diary entries. These materials detailed the teenager's interest in figures such as the Oklahoma City bomber and the Christchurch mosque shooter. In one diary entry, the teen wrote, "I think I’ve gained an autistic interest in bombs but it’s going to be tough to shake it off."

The teen also messaged a friend about the fictional terrorist attack depicted in the film Fight Club. In a separate exchange, a friend asked him, "Who are you trying to kill?" The teen responded, "Members of the Liberal party."

Defense barrister Laura Reece told the jury that the central issue at trial was the teen’s state of mind or intention. Reece stated that the teenager engaged in "clearly dangerous experimentation" with household chemicals. "He was a troubled kid," Reece said. "He was experimenting not only with explosives but with ideas and beliefs."

Reece also told the court that the teen had sought out "extremist material from wildly contradictory sources from the dark corners of the internet." Reece argued that the teen’s comment to a friend about bombing Brisbane’s Labour Day parade, which typically draws 20,000 people, was an "edgy joke." When the verdict was read, the teen's family reacted with gasps and tears.