A 22-year-old man accused of preparing acts of terrorism has admitted before a United Kingdom court that he attempted to join the Islamic State group after becoming influenced by extremist content viewed on social media platforms.
Mohamed Mohamoud is standing trial at Winchester Crown Court over allegations that he prepared acts of terrorism between October 2024 and March 2025.
Giving evidence during the proceedings, Mohamoud acknowledged attempting to travel to Somalia to join ISIS but denied intending to personally commit terrorist acts or assist others in carrying out attacks.
When questioned by his defence counsel, Dominic Thomas, he admitted that he had tried to join the terrorist organisation and stated that he would plead guilty if specifically charged with that offence.
Prosecutors told the court that Mohamoud travelled to Somalia in January 2025 intending to become a martyr for ISIS.
According to the prosecution, he failed to establish contact with the group because of ongoing counter-terrorism operations in the country and subsequently returned to Britain in March.
The court also heard allegations that he used an artificial intelligence chatbot to facilitate communication with ISIS-linked individuals in Somalia.
Prosecutors further claimed that after returning to the UK, Mohamoud maintained contact with recruiters associated with the group and expressed willingness to return whenever instructed.
During his testimony, Mohamoud said he was not particularly religious before he began watching religious content online.
He explained that his exposure to extremist ideology developed gradually through videos on YouTube and TikTok discussing democracy, politics and religion.
“It was extreme videos, not violence, just people sitting there talking,” he told the jury.
According to him, repeated exposure to such content eventually led him to view ISIS as a group fighting against systems he had come to oppose.
Mohamoud said he later commented on a video expressing a desire to migrate and join the organisation.
Born in Somalia, he moved to Bristol in 2020 to live with his mother and attended college, where he studied English, Mathematics and Cooking.
The case has highlighted growing concerns among security experts about the role of online platforms and emerging technologies in the spread of extremist ideologies.
The trial continues.
