A 20-year-old man accused of planning a mass-casualty terror attack on public buildings and places of worship in Western Australia has been hit with additional charges, including possession of child abuse material.
Jayson Joseph Michaels had already been charged over allegations that he prepared for a terrorist act targeting locations such as WA Police headquarters, WA Parliament House, and mosques, with prosecutors claiming he documented detailed plans in a diary.
Police allege the diary, seized during a raid on his parents’ home in Bindoon, north of Perth, contained references to weapons construction, body armour, and a so-called “day of justice,” as well as comparisons to previous mass-casualty attacks.
In Stirling Magistrates Court in Perth, prosecutors added six new charges, including possession of a bulletproof vest, two counts of possessing violent extremist material on electronic devices, two counts relating to objectionable computer game material, and possession of child abuse material.
Michaels appeared via video link from Casuarina Prison and confirmed he understood the charges but was not required to enter a plea. He was remanded in custody and is due to reappear in court on July 8.
He already faces multiple earlier charges, including firearms and ammunition offences and using a communication service to allegedly harass or menace others.
Court documents allege that Michaels researched potential targets, entry points, and security systems, and considered using disguises and improvised equipment to carry out and escape from the planned attack.
Prosecutors also told the court he had accessed extremist online material linked to white supremacist ideology, including content described as instructional material from a declared terrorist organisation.
During the investigation, police allegedly found firearms, ammunition, knives, and extremist content on devices in his bedroom.
However, earlier court proceedings also heard arguments that Michaels was an isolated and mentally distressed young man and that there was no intention for the alleged plan to be carried out.
