Young man admits trying to join ISIS after watching online videos

A 22-year-old man is in a UK court for trying to join ISIS after being influenced by videos on YouTube and TikTok.

Mohamed Mohamoud was born in Somalia and moved to Bristol in 2020. He is on trial at Winchester Crown Court for planning acts of terrorism from October 1, 2024, to March 5, 2025.

On Tuesday, Mohamoud admitted he tried to travel to Somalia in 2025 to join ISIS. But he denied wanting to commit a terrorist act or help anyone else do it.

His lawyer, Dominic Thomas, asked if he accepted that he tried to join ISIS. Mohamoud said, "Yes I do."

Thomas then asked him what he would do if charged with that crime. Mohamoud replied, "Plead guilty."

The court heard from prosecutor Naomi Parsons that Mohamoud traveled to Somalia in January 2025, hoping to become a "martyr" for ISIS. But he could not reach them due to anti-terrorism efforts in the country and returned to the UK in early March.

Parsons also said Mohamoud used an AI chatbot to contact ISIS members in Somalia. After coming back to the UK, he kept in touch with ISIS recruiters, telling them, "Any time, you say the word, I will return."

Mohamoud told the court he was not religious before watching videos about religion on YouTube. He later found TikTok videos that promoted ISIS.

"It was extreme videos, not violence, just people sitting there talking," he said.

He mentioned that the videos talked about democracy, socialism, and those seen as "disbelievers." He was watching videos on TikTok that criticized democracy when he found one promoting ISIS.

"What happened was I was watching these videos, these people who do not belong to any group, so I was like 'yes, these groups who were fighting democracy or whatnot, they are doing something right,'" he explained.

Mohamoud said he commented on the video, showing his wish to "emigrate" and join ISIS.

He moved to Bristol as a teenager to stay with his mother. He went to college and studied English, mathematics, and cooking. He had lived in the United Arab Emirates with his stepmother before.

Mohamoud told the court he had a tough relationship with his mother. He had only seen her once since his parents split when he was three years old.

The trial is still ongoing.