YORK COUNTY, S.C. — A 16-year-old sat in a family courtroom in Rock Hill with his head in his hands Tuesday.
He's charged with being a minor in possession of a .25-caliber pistol that York police officers found in his home in February.
However, when officers executed that search warrant they knew more about the teen.
Special Section: Islamic State
The FBI believed the teen was planning to join the terror group ISIS.
After extensive interviews, they said the teen admitted his role in a plot to kill American soldiers on a North Carolina military base.
"It was obviously a very serious concern, and we took it that way," said solicitor Kevin Brackett outside the courtroom on Tuesday.
The federal investigation revealed that the teen met a man in Raleigh who went by the name Mohammed and held radical Islamic beliefs. The two had also met in person and planned to rob a gun shop in North Carolina for weapons, then attack an unnamed North Carolina military base, shooting soldiers on the base at random.
Later, they would go to the Middle East and join ISIS to avenge the recent U.S. airstrikes on the terrorist group.
Prosecutors could only charge the teen with having a gun under age so on Tuesday, they asked for an indeterminate sentence in juvenile detention to help him get his life back on track.
Brackett said a videotaped police interview with the teen, not shown in court, was disturbing.
"How he behaved on that video, which is what I told the court, is what caused me so much concern," Brackett said. "We believe he was sincere in his beliefs."
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His defense lawyer B.J. Barrowclough said the teen was drawn in by a man with radical beliefs but had wavered, and had told the other man he didn't want to hurt anyone in the U.S. Instead, he wanted to fight the regime in Syria that had hurt and killed members of his own family.
Barrowclough asked the judge for probation for the teen saying he had no criminal record,and was in school and working to care for his mother.
"I want to be a different person," the teen told the judge. "I regret everything that I did."
His mother and uncle also spoke saying he was a good kid who believed in the laws of the U.S. and didn't mean any harm.
The boy will receive counseling and will be released when experts believe he is no longer a threat. That is the maximum the law allows.
Dr. Joe Prus, a psychologist at Winthrop University in Rock Hill said a desire for belonging can drive young people to groups like this.
"Think of what draws people to gangs," Prus said. "Young people have a natural desire for some power and control.
When asked about the counseling that will be used to restore the teen to his family and community, Prus said it needs to be positive.
"Family members, teachers and others in his life are going to have a powerful influence. They will use those connections to work with him, I would think."
Lawmakers want to stop others from joining terrorists overseas
Congressman Robert Pittenger co-sponsored a bill introduced Tuesday.
It lays out restrictions for Americans traveling overseas to countries like Syria and other places known as hotbeds for terrorists.
The proposed bill restricts United States nationals from traveling to countries where foreign governments or anti-government forces allow terrorists to engage in armed conflict.
The bill would still allow Americans to travel for family or humanitarian work but would try to weed out potential threats including those hoping to join ISIS.
"America citizens have the right to travel,” Pittenger said. “And if we get an indication about what their objectives are, we can stop them."
Experts said the Internet has erased the boundaries for a group like ISIS, giving anyone the ability to talk to people in the Middle East, and be brainwashed by their cause.
The teen could be in the juvenile detention until he is 21 years old or until he shows the improvement and stability medical experts are looking for.
News release from Congressman Robert Pittenger:
WASHINGTON – Tonight, Congressman Robert Pittenger (NC-09) and Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-01) introduced legislation to restrict travel to Syria and other global hot spots where foreign terrorist organizations are active and recruiting new members.
“This troubled young man from York County could have traveled to Syria, received training from ISIS, and with a valid passport, returned home to carry out a terrorist attack,” said Pittenger, chairman of the Congressional Task Force on Terrorism and Unconventional Warfare. “With ISIS actively recruiting via social media, we must enhance our ability to identify and intercept those individuals who wish to bring harm upon their fellow Americans.”
If approved, the new legislation would:
- Require the President to compile a list of countries where the government, or rebel forces, is allowing a foreign terrorist organization to engage in armed conflict.
- Require U.S. citizens wishing to travel to one of the designated countries to obtain a license. This would allow for family visits, humanitarian work, and other legitimate activity, but would enable authorities to better identify and intercept individuals planning to join a terrorist organization.
- Impose penalties, including fines and imprisonment for up to 20 years, on anyone violating the travel restrictions.
Congressman Pittenger has been working on this issue since August 2014 and co-sponsored an earlier version of the legislation. Following feedback from the House Armed Services Committee, the legislation has been updated and was re-introduced this evening.
“We must never live in fear, but we should be aware of the new and emerging threats to our security and take appropriate steps to minimize those threats” said Pittenger.
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