🔗 Share this article Privacy Online is an Falsehood’: Aussie Teenager Charged Regarding Supposed Active Shooter False Report in the US A youth from New South Wales has been indicted following accusations he issuing several prank calls to emergency services – a practice known as “swatting” – wrongly stating mass shootings were taking place at major retail and educational institutions across the US. International Probe Results in Legal Action AFP officers charged the boy on December 18th. Authorities allege he is a member of a purported decentralised online crime network operating from behind computer screens in order to trigger an “rapid and large-scale emergency response”. “Commonly teenage boys aged from 11 to 25, are participating in crime types such as swatting calls, releasing private info and computer intrusion to achieve status, notoriety and recognition in their online groups.” As part of the probe, officers took possession of several electronic devices and a banned gun found in the juvenile’s custody. This operation was conducted under a specialized task force formed in the final quarter of 2025. Law Enforcement Deliver a Clear Message Graeme Marshall, issuing a warning, advised that those operating under the illusion they can carry out offenses using technology and encrypted identities are being targeted. The AFP said it launched its probe upon receiving intelligence from US federal agents. Jason Kaplan, from the FBI's international wing, remarked that the “dangerous and disruptive crime” of hoax 911 calls threatened public safety and wasted essential public safety assets. “This incident proves that secrecy in the digital realm is an false notion,” he said in a joint statement alongside Australian police. He continued, “We are dedicated to partnering with the AFP, our global allies, and industry experts to locate and hold accountable those who misuse technology to cause harm to communities.” Court Proceedings The teenager faces 12 counts of telecommunications offences and one count of unauthorised possession of a banned gun. The individual potentially faces up to fourteen years in a correctional facility. “Our pledge (is|remains) to stopping the distress and suffering participants of this online crime network are inflicting on society, while laboring under the illusion they are anonymous,” Marshall concluded. The boy was due to be presented before a NSW children’s court on this week.